Armor of the Liger Warrior
by D-Hunter
Summary: Chapter 14 now up. AU Fic. The Armies of Fury have overthrown the Toros kingdom. The royal family is in hiding with only the son of their champoin to protet them. RR flames will feed the fire.
1. A Boy Named Bit

Tawanos: All right my second Fic. Totally different from the first. I am writing this during the bout of the most homework I have ever gotten, so I don't know when the next chapter will be up. Probably not this week. I am writing this fic totally without my sister so this is purely my work.  
  
Disclaimer: All my funny disclaimers are in my other fic (read it to find them.) I don't own zoids.  
  
Chapter 1- A Boy Named Bit  
  
The city street was crowded by stalls selling everything from healing potions to enchanted weaponry, but in this world filled with magic that was not uncommon. Nobody much noticed the youth walking with a staff down the street. He was dressed casually with a blue long-sleeved shirt with black sleeves and collar, a leather purse tied to his belt. He was examining not the stalls but the people with great interest. Unfortunately a few large boys from the local gang noticed the stranger's rather full looking purse. Quietly they surrounded him, cutting him off from help. The largest boy stepped in front of the young man and pulled out a rather long knife.  
  
"Hand over the purse and you can keep our life." He expected the blond youth to hand over the purse without any trouble. The youth looked up at him with startlingly green eyes and a smile on his face.  
  
"I've got a better idea. I'll flip you for it." So saying he reached into his purse and pulled out a large gold coin. "Heads I win," the coin flew up into the air, and was followed by the sound of several thuds and groans. "Tails you loose," as the coin fell a hand reached out and caught it. "Looks like you loose," said the youth examining the coin in his hand, the thugs lying unconscious on the ground.  
  
What happened was this. The three thugs watched as the coin spun in the air. In a flash the youth's staff was placed, rather forcefully, along the side of the leader's head, he fell without a sound. The second fell when the youth's boot flew into his face knocking him out. A second later the third would be thief fell having been punched in the gut. People who saw what happened later described it as a blur of fluid motion.  
  
The youth placed the coin back into his purse. The street was very, very quiet for some reason, and everyone was staring at him. The youth heard someone clapping behind him. He turned to see a man wearing a long light blue coat clapping. He had a large child like smile on his face.  
  
"I've been looking for someone like you, sonny." The man came up and clapped the youth on the back leading him off towards the edge of town. "My name is Stephen Toros and I'm looking for a bodyguard to defend my family on the road, I can pay you well. What's your name?"  
  
"Bit, Bit Cloud." The man started when he heard the young man's name.  
  
"Not the son of the warrior Deleo (A/N: Deleo is Latin it means to destroy) Cloud." Bit nodded. "A direct descendant of the legendary warrior Liger Cloud? The warrior who defeated entire armies single- handedly?"  
  
"Everyone says single-handedly when they know full well that he used both hands. But yes, and don't ask how many greats there are between us, I don't remember."  
  
"Why aren't you in the capital?" The man questioned Bit. Bit laughed but there was no humor in his voice.  
  
"I guess you haven't heard. There is no more capital. It was wiped off the face of the planet over two weeks ago by the armies of Fury. From what I've heard they came from the sky without warning set fire to every building and killed everything that moved. Not even my father could hold them off for long. Some say that he held the army off long enough for the royal family to escape, but I don't know." Bit shook his head with despair.  
  
"Your father was a great man, he bought us just enough time to get out safely." The man opened his jacket so that Bit could see the Royal Emblem hanging from a gold chain around the man's neck.  
  
"Your Ma-" Bit was cut off when the man placed a hand across his mouth.  
  
"Not now lad." He said urgently. "I am wanted rather badly by Fury and his forces, and shouting out my name in the middle of a city is sure to gather unwanted attention." Bit nodded his understanding and the king removed his hand form his mouth. "My wife was caught during our escape, all I have left is my son and daughter, I entrust my daughter's safety to you, my son can take care of himself. Here we are." Bit looked and saw a series of covered wagons belonging mostly to merchants. One was larger than the others. It was more like a small house on wheels than anything else. Bit and the king approached the large vehicle. "Remember, to everyone here I am just a traveling salesman by the name of Stephen Medecia, not the king. By the way where is your cat?" Bit whistled and a large white form leaped from the roof of the building they just passed. The "cat" was a large white leopard the size of a small horse. A few, well all, people ran to get out of the cat's way as it made it's way to Bit. "I had heard from your father that it had grown large, but I had never expected something this big. Where has he been hiding?" The leopard stopped and sat down in front of Bit.  
  
"Well I couldn't let him walk with me through town, so I told him to follow me from the roofs. Is this your home?" The king nodded. "Liger, guard this place." Bit pointed at the king's home, immediately the leopard ran and jumped onto the roof of the home. "I don't know what to call it, does it have a name?"  
  
"Well for some reason we call it the Chariot, I never could figure out why." At that point a man came out of the "Chariot" with his sword at the ready, when he saw the king he lowered it.  
  
"Father, I heard a noise and thought that there might be trouble." The man was slightly older than Bit's 18 years, maybe 20 years old. He had shoulder length brown hair tied back into a ponytail. A girl the same age as Bit came out from behind the prince and ran to the king hugging him. She had a dress on, not fancy but rather for cleaning the house. Her mane of red hair was tied back in a scarf around her head.  
  
"Bit I would like you to meet my daughter Leena, and my son Leon. Leon, Leena I would like you to meet Bit and Liger." When the king said Liger Leon and Leena looked around for someone else. Bit whistled and Liger jumped down from the Chariot and walked up next to him.  
  
"Liger, these are our new friends, Stephen Toros, Leena Toros, and Leon Toros." As he named them Liger looked at them so he could recognize them later. "Guys, this is my familiar, Liger. He is the only one I have left." Liger rubbed up against his leg to comfort the suddenly sad youth.  
  
"Here Bit come inside so we can decide what to do about you." The king put an arm around Bit and led him inside the Chariot. When Bit got inside he was surprised to see that it was much larger on the inside than he guessed from the outside.  
  
"An expansion spell makes it three times bigger on the inside than it should be." Leena explained when she saw the look on Bit's face.  
  
"I know what an expansion spell is, I've got one on my pockets and my bag." Out of a side pocket Bit pulled a haversack that he placed on the table. "My pockets are each 4 times bigger than they should be."  
  
"And the bag?" Leon asked pointing at the brown cloth bag.  
  
"I honestly don't know. I've had it for years and still haven't been able to fill it, and I never have any trouble finding what I need, I just reach in and pull out the item I need, no rooting around."  
  
"I have one question. Where will Bit stay? We're using the guards room for storage, an none of the furniture is anywhere large enough to be comfortable." Leena raised a valid question.  
  
"Exactly how big is the roof?" Bit asked after a second.  
  
"Bit, you can't be serious." Leon said.  
  
"Please, I've been sleeping out in the open for over two weeks straight, more will not be a problem. I've got a sleeping bag in my pack. Everything will be fine." Finally they agreed, and because it was getting late Leon showed Bit the way up to the roof where Liger was curled up. Liger moved to a side allowing enough room for Bit to place his sleeping bag. Leon left wishing Bit a good night.  
  
For a while Bit lay in his sleeping bag looking at the stars. He wondered why the Fury armies attacked, about what this new adventure would be like, but foremost in his mind was why had princess Leena kept glancing at him when she thought he wasn't looking and blushing?  
  
@#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%& @#$%&  
  
Tawanos: Well read and reply, I plan on having more people come in during the next chapter. 


	2. Logs and Blockheads

Tawanos: I like writing, I really do. So here is the second chapter of my latest fic. I will see if I can upload the next chapter by Monday, Wednesday at the latest.  
  
Disclaimer: Wahoo!!! I finally own Zoids. *Falls back under glare from army of lawyers* Fine I don't own Zoids. Please don't hurt me.  
  
Chapter 2- Logs and Blockheads  
  
Late the next morning Leena woke up. She got an apple from the pantry and headed outside to watch the birds, something she used to do at the castle all the time. When she went outside an interesting sight greeted her. The cute boy that her father had brought home last night was sitting against a tree. An ax lay by his feet as well as two large piles of wood, one pile of cut wood, the other not. He was obviously taking a break from chopping wood to get a drink from the canteen in his hand.  
  
"Can I help you princess?" He had seen her watching him from the door of the Chariot.  
  
"Call me Leena. And I was wondering why I had never met you. Your father was well known in, and out of, the court. I don't believe that I've ever even heard him speak about having a family." She closed the door and walked towards Bit.  
  
"It was for the protection of our family that he never mentioned us. As you said he was well known by everyone. Well... not everyone liked him. If you remember he received many challenges and threats. If it were public knowledge that he had a family, we would become targets by which to get at him. Imagine what would happen if both the royal family and his own were attacked at the same time. Where would he go? His duty as the King's Champion insists that he protect the royal family, but then what about his own family? You see the problem?" Leena nodded as she sat down on the stump that Bit had been using as a chopping block.  
  
"One more question." She pointed at the ax. "Why are you chopping wood?" Bit laughed slightly.  
  
"A man came by earlier and asked if I would be willing to chop wood for him, he said he would pay me so I said ok. Someone should be along around noon to pick up this load. Until then I will keep working, unless there is something you would like me to do, my duty to your family comes before any other job." Leena said that she didn't, so he picked up the ax and got a piece of wood from the uncut pile.  
  
Leena got up and got a chair from inside the Chariot so she could enjoy the morning sun without getting in Bit's way. She came out of the Chariot with a folding chair under one arm and a book in her hand. She saw that Bit had an unusual way of chopping the wood. In one hand he held the ax, a piece of wood poised beneath it. With a quick chop the wood was in pieces, he used the ax to clear the pieces off the stump as he reached with his other hand for a new piece. A second after the pieces were cleared a new bit of wood was in place, every ten pieces or so he changed his position so the hands changed their jobs, from grabbing to chopping and vice versa. Leena watched for a minute before settling down to her book.  
  
After a little while the prince and king came from town with some supplies in arm. Soon after that the sound of chopping wood stopped. Leena turned and saw that Bit had finished chopping and was now stacking the wood. When he was finished he sat down his back to the tree and appeared to go to sleep. About half an hour later the sound of a cart could be heard coming up the path. Leena had since succumbed to the heat of the sun and dozed off in the chair. Bit was still leaning against the tree, his eyes closed. A foot prodded Bit in the ribs.  
  
"You, boy, load the cart." Bit opened one eye and looked up. What he saw was the gaudiest outfit he had ever seen, it looked like it belonged on a strolling minstrel, who was color-blind, and had no fashion sense. Bit closed his eye. It hurt to look at him.  
  
"No, I was paid to chop the wood not load it. You would have to be the king to order people around like that without getting beet up, I would suggest stopping."  
  
"My name is Harry Champ, I'm a man destined to be king." Harry said imperiously. Bit heard a laugh that was not Harry's, he opened his eyes and saw that Leena had woken up and heard Harry's proclamation. Harry turned and saw Leena for the first time, instantly he was by her side. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, you are like a ray of sun on a cloudy day." He probably would have continued, but he stopped because Leena had burst out laughing again and showed no signs of stopping any time soon. Bit stood up and began carrying wood over to the cart.  
  
"Come on, help me out. We better get you away from here before she dies of laughter." Leena heard him and only laughed louder.  
  
"I don't do physical labor. It's below my position. My father owns this trade caravan, we are the richest merchants in four kingdoms." Bit rolled his eyes.  
  
"I guess this means that we will be traveling with you for some time." Leena's father said as he stepped out of the Chariot. He introduced himself to Harry. "My name is Stephen Medecia, but everyone calls me Doc," he said using the alias he had come up with. "These are my children Leena" he pointed to Leena who's laughter was subsiding, "and my son Leon is inside."  
  
"What about him?" Harry indicated Bit with his thumb.  
  
"Bit Cloud, Doc hired me to protect his family." Bit said before Doc could make up some weird story. Harry refused to turn and face him.  
  
"Laziest bodyguard I've ever seen." Before Harry could say anything else the ax that Bit had been using to chop wood flew past his shoulder, it landed with a "thunk" in a tree 50 feet away.  
  
"Lazy but effective." Bit said as Harry turned slowly to face him.  
  
"I wouldn't dare to that again if I was you." Harry was furious.  
  
"Sure I would, just let me get the ax, and remember to hold very still." Bit made to get the ax. Harry on the other hand turned white and took off running. "I better finish loading the cart before they send someone else to pick it up. I hope we don't see that idiot for a while he annoyed me. Just one question." He turned to Leena who had finally stopped laughing. "Why did you laugh at him so much?"  
  
"Well first of all he looked funny, and second that line he used on me, I heard that at least twice a day back at the royal court, and I never expected to hear it out here." Bit nodded his understanding and turned back to the job of placing the wood in the cart. Leena went back to reading the book that her nap had interrupted. Fifteen minutes after Bit finished loading the cart two men could be seen coming up the path, one cowering behind the other. Bit recognized them both.  
  
The one cowering was Harry, probably back to pick up the cart. The one he was cowering behind was Brad Hunter a rather expensive mercenary that Bit had met in his travels over the past two weeks. Brad was 20 years old with shoulder length brown hair, he was tall and well muscled, he wore a green vest and khaki pants, and he was not expensive for nothing, he was good. Over his shoulder the hilts for his bastard sword (A/N: that's really a name for a sword you can look it up) could be seen, and his belt had several knives of varying shape and size.  
  
"Hey Brad, you've got a shadow and it looks quite pale." Harry made as if to reply, but Brad beet him to it.  
  
"As I recall, your shadow was quite a bit whiter than mine." He was referring to when they first met, Brad had been hired to kill Liger for his white fur, and Bit had stopped Brad from being gutted by Liger.  
  
"Yes he was, but he is naturally white unlike yours which is yellow. And as I recall my shadow nearly exposed your innards to the world." Bit chided. "By the way, what did you tell that rug merchant?"  
  
"I told him that it would take at least a battalion to get the pelt of your cat. You should have seen the look on his face." Bit and Brad shook hands in friendship, they had become friends as Bit took him to a healer for the many cuts, bruises, and scrapes he had gotten from Liger. Harry was no longer behind Brad coming to the conclusion that the cart provided more protection then Brad did.  
  
"Brad Hunter, I hired you to protect me from that madman, not become friends with him." Harry's voice said from behind the cart.  
  
"Is this true Brad? Did you come here to challenge me?" Bit said jokingly shocked.  
  
"This guy" he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Harry "came into the Merc tavern in town asking for some protection against a 'madman named Bit Cloud.' I didn't know you were in town and wanted to see you again so I said sure, and here I am."  
  
"So are you going to challenge me, or would you like to have lunch? I was about to get a sandwich or something." Bit's eyes lit up with an idea. "Or both, a friendly match then lunch, how does that sound?"  
  
"That sounds good. Should we have the match now, or some time to prepare?"  
  
"Just a little time to get a sword or something." Bit whistled and Liger poked his head over the roof of the Chariot where he had been sunbathing all morning. Bit walked over until he was almost under the cat's head. "My bag please." The head disappeared for a second before it reappeared with the bag in its mouth, he dropped the bag into Bit's outstretched arms. Bit then turned to Leena. "Your father may be interested to watch what is about to happen." Leena nodded and headed into the Chariot to get her father and brother.  
  
Bit went to the middle of the clearing and began pulling things out of his bag. Brad watched in amazement as Bit pulled out a broadsword, short sword, saber, two dirks, assorted knives many more than Brad, a metal capped staff, and a spear out of a bag that looked like it might burst if he put a medium sized melon into it.  
  
"That's some bag you've got there. Is there anything that won't fit?" Doc said when he saw the assortment of weapons that Bit had pulled out of the bag, his eyes lingered on the spear and staff one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Just so long as it can fit through the opening the bag will hold it. The only thing I won't put in here is living animals, I don't want them eating the healing herbs I have in here." Bit shoved his arm down into the bag and moved it around as if he was searching for something, then he gave up and dropped the bag at his feet. "Well that's everything." He looked at the assortment of edged weapons lying by his feet. "Hey, Brad, what should I use?"  
  
"Let's make this fight interesting. Use the dirks, and I will use mine." Bit nodded and began putting the rest of the stuff back into the bag. "One more thing. This clearing is too small for the fight I have planned."  
  
"Agreed, there was a bigger one by the caravan I passed. That wouldn't by any chance be your caravan, Harry?" But Harry was no longer there, and for that matter neither was the cart. While they had been talking Harry had sneaked away with the cart. "I guess that we'll just have to find out for ourselves, won't we?" Brad smiled as Bit through the bag back up onto the top of the Chariot where Liger was napping. "Come on you three," Bit said to Leena, Doc, and Leon. "Liger will protect the Chariot while we're gone." They agreed and together they headed off in the direction of the caravan.  
  
Tawanos: A bit of a cliffhanger I know but I plan to update it in a few days so, no worries. 


	3. Fights, Jobs, and Spirits

Tawanos: I said that this chapter would be up by Wednesday at the latest, and here it is. My school seems to be backing off at the moment from work so I will be able to keep working on my fics. Unfortunately my other fic has fallen behind so it comes first. I will continue to write this fic, but with less time. Some people seem to think that my statement in my bio means that I will be going on a writing strike. So far I have thought about it, but I have not drawn any conclusions as to weather I should or not. Any way I hope you enjoy my new chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I own Zoids, may the gods strike me down if I lie. *Dives for cover as lightning hits where I was just standing*  
  
Chapter 3- Fights, Jobs, and Spirits  
  
As soon as they entered the clearing just before the caravan they could tell that this was indeed the Champ Caravan. It was not just because of the large emblem of the Champ family was on the flags that hung from the various wagons, it was more the piercing scream of terror and dash for cover that were both made by Harry as soon as he saw Bit. As Bit and Brad made the large circle that they were going to fight in a large man approached them from the direction of the caravan. He was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, khaki pants that were wearing out at the knees, sandals, and a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun out of his eyes while he worked with his crew.  
  
"My name is Cornelius Champ, I am the owner of the Champ Caravan and I wish to know two things. One, what you are doing here?" A mischievous twinkle could be seen in his eyes. "And two, which one of you lads scared my son so much that he won't come out of that barrel?" He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at a barrel that was visibly shaking. To answer his second question Bit put his hand by his mouth and called over in the direction of the barrel.  
  
"Now where did I put that ax? Ah, here it is." Harry popped out of the barrel like a cork, when he landed he ran as quickly as he could behind the largest of the wagons. Everyone, including Harry's father, laughed at this. At this point Cornelius noticed Doc and his family.  
  
"Doc what are you doing here? We don't leave for another two days."  
  
"Well I can answer your first and your last questions. I hired this young man," he indicated Bit, "as a bodyguard. He and Brad Hunter here were about to have a friendly little fight. Anyone can watch if they would like." Cornelius agreed and called over some of the workers from the caravan to watch. Once everyone was gathered and found a nice place to sit, or lean, and watch the fight Bit and Brad stepped into the circle at opposite ends and got into fighting stances.  
  
They met in the middle of the arena with a clash of metal as each dirk pared off with one of it's opponents. Brad heaved and pushed Bit back. When there was a little space between them Brad launched a duel attack with each blade aimed at a different part of Bit's torso. However before they could get anywhere near their targets Bit had knocked them away and made an attack of his own. Side by side both of Bit's blade flashed towards Brad's chest, but before they could hit Brad had jumped back and backed away to the far side of the ring.  
  
"That was enough of a warm-up. Are you ready for a real fight?" Brad asked Bit.  
  
"Enough talking, let's go." Bit said, a smile on his face.  
  
Again they charged each other. For a split second their blades met, and then began an exchange of attacks were almost to fast for the eye to see. It was as if the blades had taken a life of their own, each one independent of the others. They made lightning like strikes and sweeping slashes, yet not a cut was made. No matter how hard they tried neither could land a blow. Strike, block, dodge, these were all steps in the battle but they were each so fast that no one could follow them, and they were getting faster by the second. After a minute they were not so much fighters as they were blurs.  
  
Then it was over. A booted foot struck out and caught its opponent's knees. No longer able to support anything the man fell to the ground, before he could do anything one of his opponent's knives was pressed against his neck making it impossible to move.  
  
Bit removed his dirk from Brad's neck and helped him to his feet. Their audience slowly recovered from the stunned silence that they had fallen into, someone began to clap and soon everyone was clapping. Bit and Brad shook hands.  
  
"You were toying with me the whole time." Brad accused Bit quietly so that no one else heard.  
  
"So what? That was still a better workout than I've had in weeks." Bit whispered back. He turned to their audience. "Does anyone have some water? It's thirsty work fighting like that."  
  
"I'll bet." Cornelius said as he approached with a canteen. "Doc said that you were working for him." Bit nodded and Cornelius turned to Brad. "But he didn't say what you did or what you will be doing."  
  
"I'm a mercenary by trade, and after I'm finished meeting with Bit I will head back to the merc tavern and wait for someone to hire me."  
  
"Well I was thinking about what Doc said about hiring a bodyguard for my family, this stretch of mountain that we will be passing through is said to be full of bandits. I think Doc has the right idea. I want to hire you Brad Hunter as a bodyguard for my family."  
  
"I'm expensive." Brad said simply.  
  
"For good reason, money is not a problem."  
  
"Then I'm yours." Brad and Cornelius shook hands ceremoniously to seal the bargain. Cornelius turned to Bit and Doc and his family who were coming up to them.  
  
"Because that was such a fabulous fight, I would like to offer you lunch with my family." At this point Bit's stomach growled quite loudly, everyone laughed.  
  
"Sounds like a wonderful idea." Doc said. Cornelius headed off and came back with his family.  
  
"This is my wife Victoria." He indicated a tall brown haired woman in a long violet dress. "My daughter Mary." The look on the blonde's face was one you would expect to see on a balloon if it had a face. "And you've already met my son Harry." He reached behind him and pulled out the boy. "I know a good tavern in town."  
  
All together Doc, Leon, Leena, Bit, Brad, Cornelius, Victoria, Mary, and Harry headed into town. Soon they were at tavern and seated. The seating order was like this, Cornelius, Victoria, Mary, Harry, Leena, Leon, Doc, Bit, Brad. They each ordered something to eat and drink except for Bit, who ordered several something's, several large something's. While they waited for their food to come they talked with each other. Brad and Cornelius talked about the finer points of their deal. Victoria and Mary talked about the latest fashions. Harry kept trying to get Leena's attention by bragging about how much money he had and where he had traveled, but she ignored him and instead listened to the conversation that her father and brother were having with Bit.  
  
"Bit we noticed something interesting while you fought. Your eyes kept changing color." Bit nodded, knowing what he was talking about. "I once saw it happen with your father during a particularly hard challenge, but when I questioned him about it he claimed not to know anything. I now know that he was lying. I was wondering if you could please explain it."  
  
"It's something that happens to all fighters in the line of Liger. It is said that Liger had three fighting spirits, one for attacking, one for defending, and one for speed. Depending on how I am fighting they might awaken in me and assist in my fighting. The change in my eyes is a result of which fighting spirit is awakened. Red for the fighting spirit, green for the defender, and blue for speed. They are not restricted to awakening only during fighting, when emotionally stressed they can... takeover, I don't know exactly what happens when one of them takeover. I also see them in my dreams sometimes, but when I wake up all I remember is seeing them, no memory of what they looked like, or what happened in the dream. Does that answer your question?"  
  
"Do these fighting spirits have names?" Leon asked.  
  
"Their individual names have been lost in time but my father once told me that they are called the Liger Spirits."  
  
"You said that these spirits could takeover. Does that mean that they have taken you over before?" Leena asked. Harry had given up trying to get her attention and was sulking.  
  
"Yes, I believe that they did once takeover. It was when the Fury army burned the village that my family lived in. I was coming back from hunting that I saw the smoke. By the time I reached the village it was almost all gone to the flames. My home, my family, they were all gone. I got so angry, and then I blacked out. Then next thing I knew I was standing in the middle of a clearing full of trees that had been mangled, ripped apart, torn to shreds, all trees that were bigger around then most men. What I think happened is that the spirits took me into the forest and allowed me to take out my anger on the trees. Liger, the leopard, still won't tell me exactly what happened that day." Bit looked up and saw that the food was coming. "Enough of that, it's time to eat."  
  
Everyone was served and began to eat. Well they watched for a second as Bit shoveled food into his mouth at top speed before starting themselves. They all finished at about the same time, even Bit, they paid the bill and left. They went their separate ways the Champs and Brad headed back to the caravan, and Bit and the Toros' headed back to the Chariot. When they arrived Liger was waiting impatiently on the roof. When he saw Bit he jumped down and walked over to him, when he reached Bit, Bit crouched down and looked into Liger's eyes. After a moment he nodded and Liger bounded off into the forest.  
  
"What was that about?" Leena asked.  
  
"Oh, Liger wanted to go hunting for lunch but didn't want to leave the Chariot unguarded, so he waited for me to comeback before going to hunt for his lunch." Bit stifled a yawn. "If you don't mind I think I will take a nap." Doc said ok so Bit headed inside and up onto the roof that had been warmed by the sun.  
  
Tawanos: I have a real tearjerker planned for the next chapter between two of the characters. (I'm not saying whom.) You'll just have to be patient and wait for me to update. 


	4. Painful Memories

Tawanos: Gods it's been a while since I last updated anything. I hope you all, that are left, can forgive me. My grandmother had a stroke just after I got out of school, so you can understand that my life is a bit hectic at the moment. I'm going to be away from home for a while and I am not sure when I will be near a computer again so you will have to forgive me if there are no updates. But here is a chapter that I said would be up a while ago, I hope you like it.  
  
Chapter 4- Painful Memories  
  
It was several hours since Bit went onto the roof to take his nap. The sun was about to set and Leena wanted a good position to watch it from. Quietly she headed up onto the roof so she wouldn't wake Bit. She opened the hatch at the top of the stairs expecting to see Bit sleeping he was not sleeping. Bit was sitting cross-legged looking at something cupped in his hands a thin gold chain leading from whatever it was up around his neck, but it was look on Bit's face that startled Leena the most. He was at the same time full of grief, extreme sorrow, and burning anger. As she watched a single tear rolled down his cheek.  
  
Leena was not paying attention as her hold on the hatch began to slip. Suddenly the hatch fell out of her hands and slammed onto the roof. Hurriedly Bit stuffed the thing into his shirt and turned to glare at the person who had interrupted him. His glare softened when he saw who it was.  
  
"Oh, its you." Bit turned away from her and stared out into the forest. Leena closed the hatch before walking up behind Bit and putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Bit? Are you ok?" Bit was one of the toughest people she knew, and to see him crying was very disturbing.  
  
"Tomorrow..."  
  
"What about tomorrow?" Leena kneeled down beside Bit.  
  
"Tomorrow is the three weeks to the day that my mother and little sister were burned alive in their own home and my father died so you could escape." Another tear followed the first. "Three weeks ago tomorrow I lost everything dear to me, everyone that I cared about except Liger because he was with me hunting." Tears were running freely down Bits face. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a golden locket. He opened the locket and showed Leena the two locks of hair that were clipped to the inside. "My mother gave this to me to remember them by when I went traveling during the summers. My father made the locket." He pointed to the curly golden lock of hair. "My sister's form when she was a baby." He pointed to the other that was straight and light brown. "My mother's..." He could not talk any more. He closed the locket and held it against his chest openly sobbing.  
  
Leena could stand it no longer. She pulled Bit into a loving embrace. She rested his head against her shoulder and began rocking back and forth.  
  
"Shhhh, everything will be alright." She continued to comfort the warrior for sometime, completely forgetting about the sunset. Even after he had run out of tears she continued to hold him. Bit let out a humorless laugh, and pulled away from Leena  
  
"Look at me. The son of the king's champion, decedent of one of the mightiest warriors in history, crying. I shouldn't be like this, I should be stronger than this."  
  
"Losing your entire family is no small matter." Leena put her hand on Bit's shoulder. "I believe that even your ancestor Liger would be sobbing if he lost his family. I'm surprised that you didn't try to take revenge or something." Bit turned away.  
  
"I did take my revenge on the soldiers. A day after I left the ruins of my home I found the soldiers that had burned it. I didn't even think, I just rushed into the camp and started attacking them." Bit turned back to Leena, his face was hard and unfeeling.  
  
"How many, Bit?" Her voice little over a whisper.  
  
"Forty? Fifty? A hundred? I don't know." His voice became so soft that it was hardly audible. "I killed them. I killed them all. There was no reason for me to kill them, but I was so angry that I didn't care."  
  
"No one blames you, Bit."  
  
"Can't you see? I blame myself. I broke my father's most important rule. Never ever kill another person except in self defense."  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't help you there. As you said you are the only one who can forgive your self. I wish I could help." Leena said apologetically. To her surprise when she looked at Bit again she saw him smiling.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For being here, for listening to me, but most of all for actually caring." He leaned over and kissed her lightly on her cheek. "Thank you." A slight blush entered Leena's cheeks as she lightly ran her fingers over the place where he had kissed her. "But what about you? Your father said that you lost your mother later that day."  
  
"Yes. We fled the castle on foot. There were mobs everywhere, as we ran one caught us. We all started running, to loose the mob we split up with plans to meet up at the repair shop where the Chariot was. By the time I got there my father and brother were already there. We waited as long as we could but she never came." Tears began to run down her cheeks. "I begged them to stay longer, but the mob was closing in. We fled." Bit put an arm around the crying princess, she responded by leaning against him and putting her head on his shoulder. "My mother was killed by the mob, we found out later. She had no way to defend herself against them."  
  
"Your father hired me to protect his family, but he said that Leon could take care of himself, and that I was entrusted with your protection. I will be there to protect you, I will make sure that no one hurts you." But Bit was speaking to a deaf ear because Leena had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Carefully, so as not to wake her, Bit reached over and flipped open the hatch. Even more carefully Bit picked up Leena and carried her down into the Chariot.  
  
Both Leon and Doc, who were reading, saw Bit with sleeping Leena in his arms. Leon got up and opened the door to her room. Bit placed her on her bed and covered her with her blanket. As he and Leon left the closed the door quietly. Bit found himself looking into the king's face, and at the moment it looked very stern.  
  
"What was that about?"  
  
"She came up to the roof and we were talking. She fell asleep and I brought her down here. Nothing happened."  
  
"I should hope not. Leena is a princess and as is our custom she will marry royalty. Bit your family was well respected but you are not royalty."  
  
"I understand perfectly." Bit said coolly, but he could not help but feel saddened by what the king said. Bit turned and headed back up to the roof. Liger had just returned and was curled up in the corner his head on his paws watching Bit as he lay down and stared up at the stars. Liger growled softly but Bit understood what he said.  
  
  
  
Bit didn't respond immediately, he thought about how it felt when he carried her down to her bed. How good it felt to have her in his arms.  
  
"Yea, I guess I do." His mind at ease, Bit slipped into sleep.  
  
Next Chapter: The plot thickens. Harry gets a few lumps from Bit. What is Jager Lake and why does it strike a cord with Bit? Find out next time in Chapter 5- Emotions. 


	5. Emotions

Tawanos: I WON!! I can't believe it, well… yes I can, but that's not the point. This fic that you are reading was part of a competition being hosted, and judged, by RaiKinoshin, another author on FF.net. I am so happy, I could just write another chapter right now and I think I will.  
  
I have the next few chapters written in their first draft form. I'm just going to go over them again before posting them. The next one should appear on Friday morning, keep enjoying my fics I know I do.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Zoids, never have and probably never will (but I'm working on that.)  
  
Chapter 5- Emotions  
  
The next day was a solemn one. An early light rain woke Bit and Liger and made them go inside the Chariot. Leena woke when she heard the hatch close and came out of her room to see a soaking Bit and a very unhappy looking Liger. She laughed as she went and got towels for them to dry off. Then she went back to her room so Bit could change in private. After a minute she peeked out from behind her door to see if Bit had finished changing, he had finished. He now wore khaki pants, a green shirt, and a red and gray vest.  
  
He was sitting in one of the chairs that they had, Liger was curled around his feet now dry and resting. Bit's head was bowed over his fists that were clenched together, a gold chain led out of his fists and around his neck. Leena walked up behind Bit and was about to put her hand on his shoulder, but there was a nock at the door and since no one else seemed to be up she went to answer the door.  
  
"Yes? What is it?" Leena opened the door and found Harry standing there under a large umbrella. "Oh, it's you." Harry was dressed much the same way as he had been the day before.  
  
"Leena, my precious. I would love to speak with you. May I come in?" Leena looked over her shoulder at Bit and saw that he hadn't moved.  
  
"Not now. You can talk to me here, can't you?" Harry tried to look past Leena to see what she had looked at, but Leena blocked his view before he could see Bit.  
  
"I suppose." He said reluctantly. "My father wanted me to tell your dad that we move out as soon as the rain ends. He told me to give you this map so your father would know the path we are going to take." He pulled a rolled up map from one of his pockets and handed it to Leena. Leena reached out and took the map, but before she could take back her hand Harry had grabbed it and made a move to kiss her hand. Leena jerked her hand out of his before he had a chance to kiss it.  
  
"Is that all?" She asked Harry coolly, but he ignored her tone.  
  
"I just wanted to profess my undying love for you." He said trying to look as handsome as he could but managing to only look more stuck up that he did at any time before.  
  
"Ok." And Leena slammed the door and walked back towards Bit.  
  
Bit had put the locket away and was in the poses of disentangling his feet from the sleeping Liger. While Bit was doing this Leena went to the pantry and got two apples. As she left the pantry she saw Bit finish disentangling himself, Leena tossed him one of the apples that he caught easily.  
  
"Will you be ok?" Bit knew that she was referring to what they had talked about last night.  
  
"Yea, I'll be just fine." His voice sounded normal but Leena saw the same sadness and grief in his eyes as last night. "How about you?"  
  
"I'll be alright. Our talk last night helped a lot." They both smiled at this. It was at this point that Doc entered the room yawning and stretching. He headed for the pantry and came out with a bowl of what looked like a steaming bowl of oatmeal. Bit wondered hoe it could be hot before Leena explained.  
  
"We have containers of water that are spelled for hot and cold."  
  
"Cool." Bit said before taking a bite out of the apple in his hand.  
  
As soon as Doc finished his oatmeal Leena showed him the map and told him what Harry had said. As she was telling him this Leon exited his room. He walked over and inspected the map.  
  
"Looks like our first stop will be the Flugal Valley." He said after a moment. Leena looked at him questioningly. "It's very near to Jager Lake."  
  
"Jager Lake?" Bit asked.  
  
"Yea, do you know it?"  
  
"I've never been this far north before but it does sound familiar."  
  
"As I recall it was formed during the meteor shower almost 20 years ago. The lake that was near the crater spilled over into it. It is said that before the water poured in a giant blue sapphire the size of your curled up pet over there could be seen at the bottom, but before anyone could get it the crater was flooded. And it's dangerous to go near the lake because of the Azure Serpent that once lived in the other lake is said to attack anyone who gets to near the water's edge." Doc said thoughtfully. He and Leon continued to discuss the map as Bit and Leena wondered off. Bit and Leena both got books and sat down to read, Bit sat where he had before and Leena sat across from him.  
  
Leena tried to read her book but found that her mind kept wondering back to when she and Bit were on the roof and he had kissed her cheek. Why? Why did that make feel different? She had been kissed by many suitors, even on the same spot as Bit had. But fore some reason his kiss made her feel… good, better than good, better than she had ever felt before. Why? Is it possible that I'm in…?  
  
Leena's thoughts were interrupted when the book she was "reading" was snatched from her hands. She looked up to see Bit looking at the page she had been staring at.  
  
"What did you do that for?" She asked a little angrily.  
  
"I was wondering what u could have been reading that could make you blush as red as an apple." Bit said handing the book back to her. Leena put a hand to her cheek and found it was indeed very hot from blushing. "By the way it stopped raining and we should be heading out at any minute."  
  
"Al… Alright." Leena was a bit flustered by the sudden confrontation of the object of her thoughts. Bit walked over to where Liger was waiting by the door. Leena watched as he opened the door and walked out with Liger by his side, a strange half dazes look on her face.  
  
I think I am, she thought to herself and began to blush again. 


	6. Magic and Moving

Tawanos: Hey, OW, Astronmir quit throwing things at me will u? Look you have two choices I can update quickly and have a broken schedule and shorter chapters or you can be a little patient and let me update at my own time with nice full chapters. I really like writing and I will continue to but if you keep bugging me to do everything faster then the story will end bad, I've seen it happen before.  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, no, not that, or that, don't own Zoids either.  
  
Chapter 6- Magic and Moving  
  
It appeared to be almost noon as Bit walked over to the front of the Chariot where Leon and Doc were waiting for him.  
  
"I've been meaning to ask, how are we supposed to get this thing to move if we have no horses?" In response Leon put his hand on the front of the Chariot and said something in Latin. His hand began to glow even after he had stopped speaking and removed his hand from the Chariot. He walked over and lightly patted Bit on the shoulder, in an instant the glow left Leon's hand and jumped to Bit's shoulder where it disappeared.  
  
"It's a form of the tether spell (A/N: the tether spell is used to tie things up or together in a magical rope) when activated and tethered the Chariot will follow who or whatever it is tied to at a distance of about 20 feet." Leon explained. "At this moment it is tied to you so we can get it over to the Champ Caravan, where I will transfer the tether from you to the last of their carts." Bit shrugged and started to walk, with Liger by his side, in the direction of the Champ Caravan, after a moment the Chariot began to role following him. Doc and Leon walked next to him.  
  
"So, are you a magic user?" Bit asked Leon.  
  
"The spell for the Chariot was already in place, all I had to do was activate it. But yes I was born with moderate fire and earth magic. How about you? Can you do any magic?" Bit stuck his left arm out in front of himself palm facing away from him.  
  
"You mean like this?" A small flame like that of a candle appeared in the air above his pointer finger, a small orb of lightning appeared over his index finger, and a small whirlwind over his ring finger. They stayed for a moment before Bit waved his hand and they disappeared.  
  
"Yea…something like that. And if you have those three then you must also have their partners, earth, plant, and water." Leon said in amazement, it was rare to find someone with multiple magics, let alone summon them at will.  
  
(A/N: in this world magic works in pairs, one that can be manifest on it's own, like Bit showed, and another that requires something to work through. The most common pairs are Fire/Earth, Lightning/Plant, Wind/Water, Telekinesis/Telepathy, Healing/Scrying, if I think of any others I will tell you. Also a person that is born with magic is also born with a block against using it that can only be taken down by another magic user, or could be broken down by extreme emotion such as love, hate, sadness, joy, or fear. For example Leon's Fire/Earth magic when he got his first sword at the age of 10, he was so happy that he almost melted it in his hands, also the stronger the magic the stronger the barrier.  
  
Magic can appear randomly in a family but is more often passed through the generations. The strength of ones mind, imagination, and will are what determine the strength of one's magic. Strength of mind, intelligence as well as character, determines the kind and range of magics a person can use, imagination determines how the magic is used and in what form, and will is the power behind all magic. Because of this every person's magic is unique.)  
  
"Your father never told me that you could use magic." Doc said indignantly.  
  
"I couldn't, not until three weeks ago." Liger gently nuzzled Bit's side, but Bit would not cheer up.  
  
"I see, the loss of your family was such a saddening time that it broke the barrier. But why didn't they use another Wizard or Sorcerer to break it?"  
  
"The barrier was too strong." Bit refused to answer any questions or even talk as they walked on the Chariot in tow.  
  
Soon they reached the Champ Caravan where they were finishing hooking up the horses to the carts.  
  
"You're just in time for us to leave." Cornelius Champ said when he saw them. Leon disengaged the tether spell from Bit. Bit just turned and headed back to the Chariot and Liger followed as Leon explained to Cornelius what he wanted to do with the spell, Cornelius agreed and showed him the cart what would be going last so he could engage the spell again.  
  
Bit walked right by Leena as though she wasn't there. Leena was about to say something, but she saw the look on Bit's face and thought better of it. Bit walked over to the stairs to the now dry roof and went up. Liger on the other hand remained on the bottom step, where he stood as a guard and would not let anyone interrupt Bit.  
  
Leena understood, Bit's loss three weeks ago was enormous and the emotional wound would take time to heal. Liger was allowing him the privacy he needed. Soon Leon returned, he told Leena that Doc would be riding with Cornelius apparently discussing the map. He asked Leena where Bit was.  
  
"He's on the roof, but I wouldn't disturb him." Leon headed for the stairs anyway.  
  
"Why not? All I want to do is talk to him about his magic and…" It was at this point that Liger decided that he had gotten close enough and began to growl at him.  
  
"Well that's one reason." Leena said sarcastically, but then completely serious. "He lost everything three weeks ago today." Leon nodded his understanding, he now realized why Bit had acted to sad earlier and respected his desire to be alone.  
  
Suddenly the Chariot lurched into motion, the Caravan had begun its march.  
  
Tawanos: A lot of stuff is going to happen very soon in the fic I'll need a few days to fine tune everything but be patient. Good things come to those who wait.  
  
Astronmir: And bad things happen to those who stall. Get a move on you slacker. 


	7. Moving Right Along

Tawanos: OK I have just a few minutes before I go away I'm not sure when I'll be back exactly, I'll see about updating while I'm away but no promises the place I'm going is dismally with out many computer s and even less internet but I'll try. BYE!!! BYE!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I hate saying it but I don't own Zoids.  
  
Chapter 7- Moving Right Along  
  
For Leena the ride from inside the Chariot was very dull. The windows that let her look outside were placed high so she would have to stand to see anything but gray sky. All the books they had Leena had read at least three times. Normally she would have taken a chair to the roof and enjoyed the trip from there, but Liger was sitting on the bottom step and wasn't letting anyone near the stairs. Leon often got sick when they traveled, so he had shut himself in his room and refused to come out. With no other option Leena walked over to Liger and kneeled down in front of him so she was at his eye level.  
  
"Liger, I don't know if you can understand me, I know you and Bit understand each other. Anyway, listen I know Bit is going through a hard time right now, he needs all the help he can get and I think I might be able to help him. Please, I don't want to see him sad any more than you do, please let me try to help him." Liger tilted his head to one side and after a moment he moved just enough for Leena to get by. "Thank you." Leena smiled as she walked up the stairs and opened the hatch.  
  
"I thought you would have come up sooner." Leena started when she heard Bit's voice. She was expecting to find him bent over his locket. She did not expect to see him doing handstands.  
  
"What are you doing?" Leena asked as she closed the hatch.  
  
"Well I can't stay strong if I don't workout, so I thought I would." Bit lowered his legs and started to stand.  
  
"I thought you would be grieving for your family." As Bit straightened Leena saw sadness cross his face, but it was gone as fast as it had appeared replaced by a bright smile, only his eyes showed the depth of his sadness.  
  
"I was for a while, but the day got so beautiful that I couldn't keep it up for long." Leena looked around and found that the day had become beautiful indeed. The sun was out, there were hardly any clouds left, the forest on either side of the Chariot seemed to sparkle from the previous rain and the sun. She turned back to see Bit was doing another handstand, this time with only one hand, then to her amazement it went from a one handed handstand to a one fingered handstand. (Like in Yu Yu Hakusho) For a moment she watched in awe, then the moment was ruined.  
  
"Leena, darling." Called the most annoying voice in existence. His concentration broken, Bit wobbled and fell hard on the flat of his back. Leena saw that Bit was alright before looking over the side of the Chariot to find Harry sitting on top of what had to be the fattest horse Leena had ever seen, it was also the same sickening yellow that its rider wore.  
  
"What do you want Harry?" Bit asked as he sat up rubbing his head.  
  
"I want to whisk Leena away from you, you circus freak." Bit frowned at this.  
  
"Hey, I like the circus." Leena said. Bit smiled at her.  
  
"Yes... well, I bet he learned that trick from them." Harry smiled wickedly. "I bet those people were the only ones his parents could find to take him to take him away from them." Bit's eyes were suddenly cold as he stood up and looked down at Harry.  
  
"You have NO right to talk about my parents. Especially not today." A strange wind came out of nowhere and swirled around Bit, Leena backed away a little.  
  
"Harry." She warned, but he didn't listen.  
  
"What happened?" He smirked, knowing that he was making Bit angry, but he shouldn't have said anything. "Did they die?"  
  
"Yes." Bit raised his hand and pointed at Harry, and Bit's eyes turned blue. An incredibly strong wind came out of nowhere and shot towards Harry, it whirled around him lifting him off the horse. Bit beckoned with his hand and no matter how much Harry struggled the whirlwind that he was in rose in the air and came towards Bit. It stopped just in front of Bit and with his voice as hard and cold as ice he addressed Harry. "If you ever want to touch ground again with your life intact you will NEVER speak ill of my parents again." A look of abject fear was evident on Harry's face. "Do I make my self clear?" Harry nodded vigorously. "Good."  
  
Bit made a dismissive motion of his hand and the whirlwind ceased to be. It was replaced by a tremendous gust of wind that hurled Harry against a tree where he was pinned for a moment before the wind died and he slumped to the ground.  
  
It was at this point that Brad came riding up, apparently looking for Harry.  
  
"Take him away and make sure I don't see him for a while, I don't know what I might do to him if I see him to soon." Bit sat down heavily as Brad carried the unconscious Harry away and led his horse away as well. Bit looked around at the princess. "I'm sorry Leena that you had to see that, but I..." Leena interrupted him.  
  
"Bit your eyes are blue."  
  
"Yea, you heard the conversation I had with your father about that."  
  
"Yes I did, but this is different. Your eyes are solid blue." And they were, from edge to edge Bit's eyes were a solid ice blue, where the normal color should have been were pools of dark blue.  
  
"What? They should have changed back by now." Just then a ghostly roar could be heard in the distance, coming from slightly to the right of the path up ahead of them  
  
"What was that?" Leena asked, for a moment forgetting Bit's eyes.  
  
"I don't know, but I get the feeling it's calling for me." Bit picked up his bag and lifted the hatch, Liger leaped out of. "And I'm going to find out why."  
  
"Then I'm coming with you." Leena said firmly. Bit didn't argue, he jumped off the roof and waited down below with his arms outstretched. Leena jumped and he caught her. Liger jumped and together they headed off into the woods to find where the roar had come from. 


	8. Jager

Tawanos: well I'm back. I was at a college summit. So I've learned how to get into college hopefully. Any way I had to sleep in dorms and with little computer access at all I had to write when I got home going over ideas that I wrote down. Well I've been working hard to get this out, just 2 hours to write and edit I'm quite happy with it. There will finally be some explanations to WHAT THE HELL HAS BEEN GOING ON!! Not very many but there are a few. It all will come together in the next chapter I hope. Any way I hope you like it I really put a lot of work into it.  
  
Disclaimer: Look I finally got the deed to Zoids. *Holds up paper that says "I oWn ZoiDz" written in crayon* heh, heh, heh.  
  
Chapter 8- Jager  
  
Bit had to slow down his running so that Leena could run along side him. He didn't know that Leena was straining to keep up with him. She looked over at him for a second and found that his eyes had become a more intense blue, shining almost to the point that they gave off light.  
  
Bit was now lost in the sensation of being called. Something was nagging at his memory, but he couldn't remember. Then something broke, a barrier in his memory gave way, and he stumbled and fell, only just catching himself with his hands on the dirt. Memories flooded in, but not his memories, these were memories of another.  
  
Leena kneeled down beside Bit, he was on his hands and knees and breathing heavily. Now blue light was coming from his eyes, casting strange shadows of his hands shadows with long sharp fingers. Liger walked up and stared at Bit, but did nothing else.  
  
Memories of lands, people, and battles that Bit had never seen before, but recognized as friends, foes, his wife, his kids, and home. Battles with humans and other creatures on both sides. But nothing had a name.  
  
"Bit? What's wrong?" Bit looked up at Leena, but before he could say anything another roar ripped through the woods.  
  
This time Bit understood what the roar said as it called out to him. Come to me Liger Cloud, it said, come and meet your destiny. Bit smiled, it was the voice of a friend, a friend from his new memories, and he trusted it.  
  
When Bit stood Leena could see that something had changed, his physical appearance was the same but the way he carried himself. For a moment she was in awe of the transformation that had happened, he now looked like how writers described the eternal hero, the one who charged into battle alone against armies and returned victorious. He was glorious. He started walking.  
  
Bit stood alone on a hill in his memory. All around him were the fallen bodies of his enemies. He looked at his hands, they were covered in a strange blue armor as were his arms, and for that matter the rest of his body. The pieces fit perfectly, there was not a squeak as he moved, nor did the armor have any breaks between the plates for even a knife to fit through. He looked over his shoulder at a creature that hovered over the land on massive wings, but never touched the ground. Then sudden realization came to him and he opened his eyes in the real world to find himself at the edge of a lake. He called out loud, so even Leena heard.  
  
"Spirit Jager, embodiment of speed, essence of water and air, and caretaker of my first armor, I call you now."  
  
For a moment nothing happened, then an area of water in the middle of the lake bulged up and then exploded. An enormous scaled head rose quickly out of the water connected to the lake by a long neck. Then the body followed after the neck and head, the body was thin as were the arms and legs, but the idea of speed seemed to be ingrained into every fiber of it's being. The arms looked like they could move like lightning and pierce any target with the long sharp nails that ended each finger.  
  
When only the tip of the tail remained in the water and the creature's climb in the air began to slow, leathery wings opened from it's back. The air seemed to gather under the wings and lift them into the air. Then the tail lifted out of the water and the largest sapphire ever seen was wrapped in it. The head of the creature turned down and looked at the man and the leopard standing on the shore, Leena had stopped at the edge of the forest when she saw where Bit was headed.  
  
The magnificent creature that was now gliding towards Bit mesmerized Leena. Then she remembered what these creatures were called, Azure Serpent. Otherwise known as the Dragons for water and air, these were immensely powerful magical creatures that lived only in the air and water, never touching land there once were many such creatures of magic, but they were all but gone now.  
  
The Serpent landed in the shallows of the lake near Bit, its tail brought the sapphire to its side and let it down gently in the water near it. It craned its head till it was eye to eye with Bit. Bit smiled and stepped into the water. The head came right in front of Bit. To Leena's surprise Bit reached out and stroked the head of the Serpent.  
  
"Leena," he called over his shoulder. "You can come out. This is Jager and he is and old friend." 


	9. Armor of Wind, Water, and Speed

Tawanos: At last all shall be revealed. Well not all but most, kinda. Well it tells a lot about what the hell is going on. Well any way I have more chapters written on my laptop but I'm kind of hesitant to transfer them because the comp that I use to put them on FF.net had the Worm Virus that's been going around and I sure as hell don't want that thing in my laptop. So you might have to wait a little while fore me to either clear my comp or find another computer to load my stories from.  
  
Chapter 9- Armor of Water, Wind, and Speed  
  
Cautiously, Leena approached the waters edge, she had seen Azure Serpents before, and there were one small one, only ten feet long, in the lakes around the capitol. The largest one she had ever seen was 50 feet long one that had been caught off the coast while she was on tour with her father, that was the largest, that was until now. The Azure Serpent that Bit was stroking was easily four or five times larger than the 50 foot one she had seen.  
  
They say that no matter how long a dragon lives it is constantly growing, that was why Leena was so amazed by its size, for it to grow this large Jager had to be at least 1,000 years old, and very powerful.  
  
Leena was now at the shore, but she refused to go into the water like Bit, Liger was sitting on the shore's edge also refusing to go into the water. Then a voice appeared in her mind, it was like a breeze before a storm, subtle, but hinting at enormous amounts of power.  
  
*Welcome back Liger Cloud, I have been waiting for you for a long, long time. * Said the voice.  
  
"I am not Liger, but I am a descendant of his." Bit said calmly, as if he talked to dragons everyday.  
  
*Yes, I see that you are not he exactly, but the resemblance is incredible, in body, in power, and in spirit. What are you called, young warrior? *  
  
"I am Bit Cloud, the last in the line of Cloud."  
  
*I am saddened by this news, those in the Cloud line have always been a powerful allies for the good. * There was what could only be described as a mental sigh. *To be the last leaves you with a great responsibility. *  
  
"I feel as though there is stuff I need to do, things to get, things I need to do, but I don't know what."  
  
*What you must collect is the Armors of Liger Cloud, what you must do is defeat the evil that I can feel, even now, approaching. *  
  
"What are the Armors?"  
  
*The Armors are magical artifacts imbued with great power. They once belonged to your ancestor Liger, but when he died they disappeared. Each armor had a soul of it's own, they are very powerful souls, when Liger died they went away to wait for another, like Liger, to find them. They have been waiting for you for over a thousand years, Bit Cloud. *  
  
*There are three armors, one of them is here, I do not know where the others are, and they are each protected by two means. First by an avatar, a creature of great power with magic like that of the armor, you will know the avatars and they will know you and they will take you to the armors. Second by a barrier, one of Sapphire, one of Emerald, and one of Ruby, these barriers can only be broken by powerful magic. * The dragon lifted its head and looked at the enormous Sapphire, its tail curled around it again and lifted it over to Bit. *This is the first armor, the Armor of Speed, essence of Wind and Water, if you can break the Sapphire barrier it is yours*  
  
Somehow Bit knew what to do, he stepped over to the Sapphire and put his hands against it. He took a deep breath and as he exhaled pored his magic into it, not all his magic, just the magic of wind and water. Deep in the sapphire there was a flicker of light, the flicker turned into a glow, and then it spread. The glow filled the sapphire and got brighter until it was flashing along the facets of the stone, then there was a sound, the sound of cracking.  
  
The crack appeared between Bit's hands and spread. Light streamed out of the cracks. The dragon spread its wings, wind gathered under them and it lifted into the air. Leena looked away from the rising dragon and again looked at Bit, but turned away, the light from the cracks hurt to look at, she looked back at the dragon and saw it turn from its rise and was diving at Bit. Then it sounded like something had shattered, light boomed out blinding Leena for a moment.  
  
*Thank you, my friend. * And the voice faded, but not before the dragon made a final triumphant screech.  
  
When Leena could see again, she immediately looked for Bit. Where he had stood there was now a figure in blue armor. The figure had its back to her and was looking out into the lake. The dragon was nowhere to be seen. The armor its self reminded her of the dragon, the long, sharp fingers, fin- blades along each forearm, the figure turned its head and she saw that the helm had been made in the form of a dragon's head, with sapphires glowing in the eyes, the armor its self was hammered to look like it was made from scales, like that of the dragon.  
  
"Bit? Is that you?"  
  
The figure nodded but said nothing, and then Leena felt something tugging at her sleeve. Liger was lightly bighting the cuff of her shirt and was pulling her to the woods. She figured that Liger knew more of what was going on than she did so she let him guide her. He took her to the edge of the trees and stopped, Leena looked back and saw that Bit was walking across the water, not through the water but on top of it, making slight ripples where his feet skimmed the surface. When he reached the middle of the lake the water in front of him exploded.  
  
Bit didn't even flinch. When she could see the other side again, Leena saw there was a woman standing there. She had purple hair and was dressed in a black suit, two men stepped out behind trees on either side of her, and they also wore the same uniform as she did.  
  
"Stop right there." She called out. "Nice trick, walking on water like that. Now, I am here for the armor, if you will just hand it over we won't have to hurt you."  
  
"No." Water began to swirl a little around Bit's feet. "Who are you and why do you want this armor?"  
  
"I am Fuma, of the Back Draft, Fury's elite army. Now, why won't you give us that armor?"  
  
"This armor is mine, not yours. Besides it doesn't want to go with you." Fuma put her fingers to her lips and gave a loud whistle.  
  
"Look, I just called five War Sharks from the river, when they get here you will be shark food. Now give me the armor and I will call them off."  
  
"No." He sounded angry. "You look, I am wearing this armor, and I am not giving it up, and it will take a lot more than just five War Sharks to defeat me."  
  
He stretched out a hand over the lake, palm down. A globe of water, about a foot across, rose out of the lake into his hand. The water in his hand elongated and took on the shape of a spear, then it was suddenly ice and as hard as rock.  
  
Five black fins could now be seen heading directly at Bit, Leena almost yelled a warning at Bit, but Liger stopped her, shaking its head it kept her behind the tree. When she looked at Bit again, he had taken up a fighting stance facing the oncoming War Sharks.  
  
The first shark jumped out of the water, its mouth gaping wide as it came at Bit. In the blink of an eye, Bit had come up under the head of the shark. He jammed the razor sharp head of his ice staff up through the jaw of the shark, all the way to the brain. It was dead before it hit the water.  
  
The next shark attacked form underneath, coming up at Bit's feet. At the last second Bit moved out of the way, the shark rushed up into the open air. Bit made some movements with his hands, razor sharp winds rushed around the airborne shark, cutting it to ribbons in a flash.  
  
The next two sharks attacked at the same time, jumping at Bit from either side. Bit reached up with his hands and as he did two hands made of water reached up and grabbed the sharks in mid air. Bit made motions as to throw something away and the hands mimicked the motion. The hands threw the sharks away as though they were nothing more than guppies.  
  
The last shark, which was smarter than the others ran for it, rather than fight Bit. The other two when they recovered from the shock followed it. Bit watched them go before turning back to Fuma back on the shore.  
  
"Now you." He pointed a long, sharp finger at her. "If you want this armor come after it yourself, don't send your little pets. Fight with honor, or don't fight at all." To his surprise Fuma smiled.  
  
"We will see each other again." She stepped back into the woods and faded from sight, the men followed her after a second. When they were gone, Bit turned and walked over the water towards Leena. Leena saw the emblem of an Azure Serpent, its wings spread, head curved up to the sky, on the breastplate of the armor. As he walked a glow spread out from the emblem. It covered the entire armor and then faded, and with it the armor faded until there was nothing left but Bit walking across the water dressed as he was before.  
  
Liger walked up to him and looked up into his face. Bit smiled as he patted the large cats head.  
  
"I'm fine, Liger. They didn't even touch me." Leena stepped out from behind the tree.  
  
"Bit? What just happened?"  
  
"To put it shortly, I just got one of the most powerful magical artifacts in history." He looked up at the sun, which had changed position since they had arrived at the lake. "We should head back to the Chariot. I hope no one noticed that we were gone."  
  
Tawanos: Will anyone notice? Will anyone figure out what happened? And where did Jager go exactly? All will be revealed on the next chapter of Armor of the Liger Warrior. Not sure when that'll be. 


	10. Flugal Valley

Tawanos: well my comp has been fixed for the most part. I have no idea how it just was my cousin is a genius. Anyway while he was fixing I got to writing and I didn't stop for 5 hours. After some editing by my wonderful sis it's ready to be posted. There was action last chapter and there is more in this one, and I have much more planned in the next few chapters. But that's for me to know, and you to find out.  
  
Disclaimer: Me? Own Zoids? Yea right, I wish!  
  
Chapter 10- Flugal Valley  
  
"Here get on my back and I will run us back." Leena got on Bit's back, as soon as she was on Bit started for the woods. He was running between the trees, but he kept going faster. Soon the trees were a blur as Bit ran between them, Liger was left behind they were going so fast.  
  
"What about Liger?" Leena asked Bit as the wind whipped past her.  
  
"So long as he can smell our trail he can follow us anywhere."  
  
It took very little time before they were back on the road and catching up to the caravan. Bit didn't even stop as they ran up behind the Chariot. He just jumped up onto it. When he landed on the roof Leena got off his back and sat down. Bit lay down and looked up at the sky, watching the clouds like that was the only thing he had done all day. Leena was about to ask a question, but Bit put a finger to his lips then jerked his thumb pointing over the edge of the roof.  
  
"Bit? Leena? Are you up there?" Bit sat up and looked over the edge of the roof at Doc who had just ridden up beside the Chariot on a horse.  
  
"Yes, we are both up here."  
  
"Ok, I just wanted to let you know that this boring ride will soon be over. We should reach the Flugal Valley in a matter of hours."  
  
"Good, I was getting bored sitting up here all day.  
  
"Ok, I just wanted to make sure you knew." And he rode off back up to the front of the caravan.  
  
"Why didn't you tell him?" Bit thought for a second as he lay back down on the roof.  
  
"You know how your dad doesn't want the fact about who your family is to get out because it might put you in danger?" Leena nodded. "Well that's kinda how I feel about telling about the armor. As you saw Fury wants my armor, it could be very dangerous if he found out who has it, and I don't want to take any chances of anyone overhearing."  
  
"What happened to the dragon, Jager? I saw it fly at you when you got the armor, but then it was gone." Bit sat up and unbuttoned his shirt. He took it off and turned his back to Leena. Across the right side of his back, below his shoulder blades, there was a tattoo of a blue dragon, the exact likeness of Jager. Leena ran her fingers over the tattoo. She looked at it closely and saw that it was more detailed than any tattoo could be.  
  
"Jager was more than just the protector of the armor, he was the soul of the armor. When I got the armor he joined with me increasing my power over wind and water greatly, my speed as well." The eyes of the tattoo glowed briefly, Leena pulled her hand away and Bit put his shirt back on. "The armor its self is inside me, I can feel it just beneath the surface of my skin, ready to be called on at any moment." The power that he held inside him was epic, yet he seemed disturbed by something.  
  
"Bit? Is something wrong?"  
  
"He wants my armor..." Bit didn't finish, but Leena knew who 'He' was, Fury.  
  
"You have armor? What's it made of? Scrap metal I'll bet." It seemed Harry had recovered from his blow earlier. Unfortunately he had slight amnesia and couldn't remember how he had gotten the massive bruise on his back. He thought that he had fallen off his horse, something that happened incredibly frequently considering the girth and slow pace of his horse.  
  
"Harry, get lost before I hurt you." Bit said coolly. "I am really not in the mood. Now go play with your dolls or something." He finished by flicking a finger at Harry's horse. A little ball of energy flowed off his finger and zapped the rear end of the horse making it start forward quickly.  
  
"You really shouldn't show off like that, it would attract attention." Leena said it, but didn't mean it. She liked watching him doing magic.  
  
Bit wasn't paying attention, he was looking past Leena into the valley, and there was a large group of buildings and even a small castle. As they entered the town of Flugal it seamed that preparations were being made for a celebration of some kind. A villager they passed told them that it was to celebrate a fantastic harvest that they just had. The Caravan all gathered together at the edge of town, circling up as they had before. A well-dressed young lady with red hair approached the Caravan when they had set up.  
  
"I am Naomi Flugal, my father, Lord Flugal, has asked me to invite you and your crew to the festival this evening." Everyone agreed to come, though Bit had to be persuaded.  
  
"Bit, I don't know what happened to you." Doc said. "But you can't live in the past, what happened, happened, and there is nothing you can do now." Bit did not really cheer up, but he did agree to come.  
  
*** Later ***  
  
Bit walked into the square where the festival was being held. Liger had stayed behind to guard the Chariot. There were people dancing to music, others were walking around talking, some just stood around drinking punch, or other stuff. He was dressed in a green shirt, light tan pants, and a dark blue vest. As he walked in a group of girls giggled, he ignored them. He was simply not in the mood.  
  
He went over to a drink table and got a cup of punch. He looked out on the dance floor and was startled to see Leena dancing with Harry. Harry looked like he was having the time of his life, but Leena did not share his view. When the song ended Leena took her chance to get away from Harry, she headed for the drink table and saw Bit.  
  
"Bit, I was wondering when you would show up." When he did not respond she continued. "This sure is a lot of fun, come on you have to see this." Leena grabbed his arm and pulled him away into the crowd. When they were near the end she stopped and pointed at something. Bit looked and saw Brad talking avidly with Naomi. Bit smiled a little but did not laugh as Leena did.  
  
Leena continued to take Bit around to all the sights and activities that were going on, but through out it all Bit seemed distant. There was a constant sadness in his eyes that would not go away. Finally Leena gave up and went to find her father. Bit retreated to a darker, less occupied corner of the square. There he remained until several figures in black rode into the square on large black horses. At once all activities stopped, the music died, conversation stopped as everyone turned to look at the newcomers.  
  
"I am Stigma, I come as a representative of the all powerful Fury." The leader was tall with light hair. "We have come to discuss the new tax laws set down by your new king." A thin smile appeared as he said this. "Hence forth the Flugal Valley is required to relinquish half of every harvest to the armies of Fury."  
  
"But how will we live? We need this harvest to prepare for the winter." Someone said from the crowd.  
  
"Not my problem." He reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a parchment. "This gives me the authority to... persuade any who disagree." A flaming arrow streaked though the air and hit the parchment, the arrow stuck in the ground as the parchment burned around it. All eyes turned to Naomi who was drawing another arrow to her bow.  
  
"I disagree." But before she could launch the arrow the bow was yanked from her hands, it flew through the air right into Stigma's waiting hand.  
  
"This? Against me?" He laughed. "I am the strongest telekinetic there is. You can not challenge me."  
  
"She may not be able to." A figure in bright blue armor strode out of the shadows at the far end of the square. "But I can, and I do."  
  
"Who are you and by what right do you challenge me?"  
  
"You can call me Jager, and by the rights of the people I challenge you. This land and these people are under my protection." Stigma shot an arrow at him from his new bow, but the long sharp fingers of Jager turned it into saw dust before it could hit him. "You may be the strongest Telekinetic in the world, but I, I am the maelstrom and the hurricane, the whirlpool and the tidal wave." A barrier appeared between him and Stigma, but a slash from his arm blades shattered it causing Stigma to cry out in pain and anger.  
  
He called for Sanders to attack, the man on horse back right behind him. Electric energy crackled around his hand as he lifted it into that air. He pointed at Jager, a bolt of energy split the air faster than anyone could see, but Jager was still faster. There was a flash of light as the bolt struck the bare ground, after the flash cleared there was a metallic clapping as Jager stepped out of a shadow behind them. They turned quickly, but again they were not quick enough. The blue stranger threw Stigma from his horse, in an instant Jager was kneeling on his chest with his long sharp fingers pointed directly at his heart like a scorpion.  
  
"Tell your master that he will never defeat me, he will never defeat the people. Tell Fury that these people are under my protection. If anyone should come to do harm to these people I will not be as lenient with them as I am with you." He got up off the man's chest thought he still pointed at his heart. "Now go, go and never come back." He watched as they rode off into the distance, then he turned and walked to the fountain at the center of the square.  
  
There was complete silence as Jager stretched his armored hand out over the water. The water began to swirl and churn as Jager looked at it. Then the water under his hand began to rise up. As it rose something took shape in the rising tip. When it was directly under his hand Jager closed his hand around the thing and the water returned to the fountain. He turned and walked to the raised dais where Lord Flugal sat looking over the festival.  
  
"Lord Flugal, I have protected you and your people this day, and I will continue to do so, but I can not always be here." He opened his hand and presented an ice blue ring to him. "This ring of Ice Sapphire will allow you to call me. I will come to your court later this night to speak wit you privately and explain matters further, for now excuse me I have pressing matters elsewhere." With that he placed the ring in the Lord's hand, turned and disappeared in a blur of blue metal. All eyes turned to the Lord who was examining the ring, it was light blue, and cool but not cold, and the smooth surface of the ring reflected everything. As the Lord placed the ring on his finger it adjusted to fit him perfectly. Gradually people began to talk again, and it seemed that the only topic of conversation was Jager and the events that had just happened.  
  
Bit walked up behind Leena and tapped her on the shoulder. She whorled around and hugged him.  
  
"Bit that was incredible, you were incredible." She whispered in his ear. He hugged her back before they released one another. Doc and Leon were walking up to them.  
  
"What a show!" Doc exclaimed as they approached them. "I never would have expected to find someone so noble and powerful out here. I've never even heard of this Jager character before."  
  
"I wonder who he is." Bit asked innocently.  
  
"Who ever he is I will find him. From what I've seen here I would bet that he's one of the few who I would consider giving up my Leena to in marriage." Bit raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "Well I think it would be a good idea for us to turn in for the night."  
  
"If it's all right with you I would like to stay and see if anyone here knows about Jager." Bit said, knowing full well that no one did.  
  
"You do that Bit." Doc barely stifled a yawn. "I'm going back to the Chariot to go to sleep and I'm taking Leena and Leon with me." Leena started to argue but when she got Bit's look she stopped and followed her father back to the Chariot with Leon.  
  
Bit turned and walked into the crowd joining groups that were talking and planting little rumors and lies that he knew would grow, change and spread. Soon he heard his own rumors being told to him like they were the absolute truth.  
  
"He's fought against Fury all his life in secret." Said one man. "He's one of the great Sleeping Magi come to rid the world of the evil Fury." Said another. "He's already killed 1000 of Fury's best men, he's unstoppable, and I'm on his side." Said yet another, and everyone agreed with him totally.  
  
Seeing that his work was done Bit retired to the drinks table. He watched for a time as people talked until he decided that it was time to see Lord Flugal once again. He slipped into the shadows, walked down an ally and emerged Jager. People who saw him cheered as he passed on his way to the Lord's Citadel.  
  
Tawanos: Now that Lord Flugal has had time to recover from the shock how will he react to Bit? Will he accept him as a friend and an ally, or attack him for bringing the wrath of Fury down on their heads? Only I know. *Laughs* you will have to wait and find out in the next chapter. 


	11. Counsel

Tawanos: Well here I am a day before school starts totally unready for what is to come. I have not written one essay or anything. How many ways can it be said that I'm dead meat? My laptop crashed a week ago and I've been working my ass off and managed to recover most of the stuff that was lost. But other than that and a lack of sleep I'm doing fine. I'm so dead it's not funny any more, and here I am updating a fic that has nothing to do with school at all. Oh well here's my latest installment of my fic I hope u enjoy it. Have I mentioned that I'm dead yet?  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Zoids you'd all be bowing at my feet praising my every action and giving me money. *sad* DAMN IT!!  
  
Chapter 11- Counsel  
  
As Bit approached the gates he found a large gathering of people there waiting for him. They cheered as he approached and made way for him as he silently walked to the gates. Guards opened the gates for him while not letting anyone else through. When the gates closed the sounds of the crowd was muffled. A man came and bowed too him and guided him to a door in the Citadel where he would find the Lord.  
  
When Bit entered he found not just Lord Flugal, but also Naomi and many of what Bit presumed to be advisers.  
  
"My instructions were that this would be a private meeting." A few of the advisors shifted uneasily. "Lady Naomi may stay, for her actions earlier but the rest of you must leave."  
  
"What assurance do we have that no harm will come to the Lord and Lady?" One of the advisors asked.  
  
"I will remove my armor and weapons as soon as we are alone." There was a discontented murmur, until Lord Flugal motioned for them to leave. They left and closed the door behind them.  
  
"Now take off your armor Jager, if that is your real name." Naomi said. The armor shimmered and sank into his skin becoming one with him again and Bit was revealed.  
  
"You need not know my name but I will tell you this. I am the guardian of the Jager armor, Champion of the true king Stephen Toros, and now protector of the lands of Flugal."  
  
"We did not ask for your help young man." The Lord snapped. "Now look what you have done, you have made myself and my people fugitives from the armies of Fury." He had changed in the last few hours.  
  
"Your people would have starved if you had given in to his demands."  
  
"Better they starved than be murdered by an army, and that is what you have condemned them to by your actions." He stood up from his chair and glowered at Bit. "This is what I think of your damn protection." He removed the ring from his finger and threw it at Bit, it would have struck Bit in the face had he not caught it. There was a sharp intake of breath that could only have come from Naomi. "GUARDS!!"  
  
The doors opened so quickly that Bit knew that the soldiers had to be waiting for that order. But Bit was faster, in a flash the armor was on again. Guards in heavy armor surrounded Bit as others with a magi insignia on their arms prepared spells if he tried to escape. But they could not know how to stop him, capture spells washed off him and would not hold, weapons bounced off or shattered against the armor as he calmly walked out pushing the soldiers out of his way with gusts of wind. At the door he stopped and turned.  
  
"Lord Flugal, you don't know what you have done, your people will suffer horribly because of your ignorance." Then he was gone, a blue blur through the halls and outside. He blasted through a back gate to keep away from the crowd at the front. He ran out into the woods and changed back to normal. As he walked he thought about what had happened, he should have been upset that the Lord did not accept his help, but he was not. He had seen something that had given him hope.  
  
When he walked into the circle of the Caravan he was pelted with questions. Had he found out anything? Had he seen him again? What did he look like up close? Did he know what happened at the Citadel? He answered from what he had heard from the rumors and lied about the rest.  
  
When he returned to the Chariot he sat and waited, Leena, Doc and Leon had gone to sleep so he waited alone, only Liger kept him company lying at his feet as Bit told him everything that had happened using their link. About half and hour after he arrived there was a quiet knock on the door. Smiling Bit went to answer it. Naomi Flugal stood there in a cloak and hood, the hood was raised so he couldn't see her face but he had no doubt who she was.  
  
"Come in my Lady." She hesitated before walking in. Bit closed the door behind her. "Don't mind my cat. He's very kind." Liger had come out from behind a chair and come over to them so that he could find out whom she was. He sniffed her before returning to the chair. Naomi removed her hood she looked upset.  
  
"Why did you not force him to keep the ring? You have the power."  
  
"I did not force him because I saw that you would willingly. I saw anger in your eyes when he threw the ring back to me, not anger at me but at your father. You shot the arrow when your father did nothing. I was mistaken when I thought that he did nothing because of shock." Bit said as he guided her over to a chair and sat down opposite her.  
  
"He is a coward." Naomi said frankly. "Why did you not give me the ring there? Why trick me into coming out here to you?"  
  
"Because I don't know what your father would do if he thought that I still had managed my goal." He produced the ring in his hand and held it out to her. "Your father must not know about this." She nodded as she took the ring and placed it on her finger, again it readjusted so that it fit her perfectly. "To call me you must be wearing the ring, it will not come off unless you want it to. Think clearly and repeat after me: 'Jager of the Wind and Water hear my call.' The ring will blink once, only once, then I will be able to hear what you hear, see what you see, and I will be able to read your thoughts and you will be able to read mine. That is the power that I give you, the power of my ring of Ice Sapphire."  
  
"A spell like this would take all but the most powerful magi months to make." Naomi looked at Bit in awe.  
  
"I know." The conversation was over. Bit rose and walked to the door Naomi followed in silence. At the door she stopped him.  
  
"You said that you were the Champion of the true king. Is this family, the ones who you travel with, are they the Royal Family?"  
  
"I have trusted you with my secret, and that will have to do for now." Bit smiled wide. "Even those who I travel with do not know about my true self, to them I am just a body guard, nothing more."  
  
"Just one more thing. What is your name?" Again Bit smiled.  
  
"My name? A very simple request, I am Bit Cloud."  
  
"Just one more thing before I go, you won't have to worry about anyone looking for you here. I convinced my father that you have probably left the Valley to rejoin the Royal Family at some hidden base or something."  
  
"Thank you, and good night." She pulled the hood back over her head and walked out into the night. Bit closed the door behind her and returned to the chair.  
  
Bit pulled the trail map out of a drawer and laid it flat on the table. He traced his finger along the path until it passed another name that he knew must contain the next armor.  
  
"Panzer Forest." He whispered to himself. He tapped the name as he did some calculations in his head. "Two days, in two days I will have the second armor."  
  
Liger growled to Bit as he put his head on Bit's knee. Bit scratched Liger behind the ears just where he liked it.  
  
"Ok, your right." Bit yawned. "Come on Liger." Tired, Bit got up and headed for the stairs to the roof, Liger followed. He did not see the sliver of darkness that was Leon's open door close quietly.  
  
"Hmm. Very interesting."  
  
Tawanos: OH MY GODS!!! What did Leon see? What will he do now? Is Bit in trouble? HOW WILL I GET READY FOR SCHOOL IN TIME??? 


	12. Full Power of Jager

Tawanos: HOLY CRAP!! It's been sooo long since I've had time to get onto Fanfiction, but amazingly people keep saying they want more chapters for my stories. Gods above aren't you people sick of me yet? No? Well ok I guess. I've got another update for my Armor of the Liger Warrior fic, but nothing yet for my other one, I'm writing the next chapter with another writer, so I've written my half, but I'm still waiting for her to write her half, so don't blame me, blame her.  
  
Anyway, school has been hell, 4 AP classes, taking the SATs, getting everything ready for applying to colleges, applying to colleges, the list goes on. So I hope you can understand why it has taken me so long to get everything organized enough to write a chapter and post it.  
  
Disclaimer: I own zoids, if by own you mean having no affiliation at all with the company that claims all the rights to the Zoids series. If not then I guess that I don't own it, damn.  
  
Chapter 12- Full Power of Jager  
  
The next day passed uneventfully for most as the Caravan moved on, unless you count Harry falling off his horse while trying to woo Leena, twice, and every time he saw Bit or Liger. So Leena had a good time watching as Harry tried to get back on his horse as it continued to amble along. Even Bit seemed in a happier mood than he was the day before, he talked and laughed with Leena. So Leena had a nice peaceful day, Bit on the other hand.  
  
"Bit can I speak with you?" Leon said through the open hatch that was allowing for the Chariot to air out. It was a lull so Bit agreed to come down, Leena started to follow. "Privately." Leena frowned a little but settled back down. Leon led him down into his own room and closed the door behind Bit.  
  
"What do you want to talk about?" Bit asked as he eyed the locked door.  
  
"I wanted to talk about your visitor last night." Bit started a little but recovered quickly.  
  
"What visitor?"  
  
"I'm talking about Lady Naomi Flugal coming to talk with you last night wanting to talk about the blue armored warrior from yesterday." Bit looked him directly in the eye, for a moment neither of them spoke.  
  
"How much did you hear?" Bit said giving in.  
  
"Everything, I heard the front door open and opened my door a little to see what it was about." He sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed motioning for Bit to take the chair from the desk in the corner which he did. "Bit I need to know everything."  
  
"No you don't." Was Bit's only reply.  
  
"Damn it, yes I do. I need to know if you're putting us in danger, I need to know for our safety, for Leena's safety." A look of concern crossed Bit's face, but it hardened quickly.  
  
"I will do nothing that I think will put any of you in danger, especially not Leena." He whispered to himself, Leon didn't hear the last bit.  
  
"Bit I didn't want to do this but, as your Prince I demand that you tell me what the happened, everything." Bit laughed a little but it saw was without humor.  
  
"You have the power to try and make me tell you anything. If you dismiss me you will have lost one of the most powerful magi warriors, you and I both know that to be true even if your father does not." Bit's cool voice and staring eyes bored into the prince but he would not look away.  
  
"What about Leena? Would you leave her alone and unprotected?" Bit blinked in surprise.  
  
"She... she'd understand." But Bit didn't sound convinced, then his resolve hardened again. "She wouldn't like it, but she'd understand. Now I would like to go back up and enjoy the day." Bit didn't wait for Leon's reply before he walked to the door undid the lock and walked out closing the door behind him.  
  
Liger sat up and looked at Bit when he came up through the hatch. Leena was laughing because Harry had fallen again, she also turned to she Bit who was smiling and laughing like nothing was wrong. Then he heard it in his mind.  
  
Jager of the Wind and Water hear my call. There was no mistaking Naomi's call in his mind. He would need to meditate for them to talk so he sat and told Leena not to disturb him for a little while. Then he went deep into his meditation so he could converse with Naomi.  
  
Jager hears your call. the sight that he saw through Naomi's eyes was one to make him furious. Stigma was standing before Lord Flugal who was apologizing for "that renegade mage."  
  
Can you see this? Naomi asked through the mind link that they now had.  
  
I see it. Bit's mind voice was cold with his anger. How long has this been going on?  
  
They tried to keep me out for half an hour, but I made them let me in. I contacted you as soon as I saw what was happening.  
  
Thank you, you did the right thing. I'll be there soon.  
  
I'll be waiting for you behind the castle by the large oak tree.  
  
Ok. He saw her turn and walk to the door before he cut the link. When Bit came out of the meditation he found Leena kissing him. He was so startled at first that he just froze but soon he found himself kissing her back. He put a hand on the back of her head and neck gently as he kissed her, they kissed for long moment before they had to stop for air.  
  
"I'm sorry Leena I have to go, they need my help, I'll be back as soon as I can." He said hurriedly. "Liger stay and look after Leena and the Chariot." Then he got up and jumped off to the ground. Why did she kiss me? He asked as he started to run, faster and faster.  
  
That was great, but why did he leave like that? Leena asked herself as she watched Bit run round a bend out of site. He was very deep in his meditation for some reason, but it felt good especialy when he started kissing me back. She blushed a bit remembering what just happened.  
  
Harry was furious, he had gotten on his horse just in time to see Leena kiss Bit full on the lips, and when Bit had kissed her back he nearly attacked him then, but he couldn't fins his sword and was still scared by him. Harry was so angry that he didn't see the low branch until it had hit him in the chest and been thrown to the ground again. He sat up to hear Leena laughing. He looked up at the passing Chariot but didn't see Bit anywhere.  
  
Bit had transformed into the Jager armor as soon as he had rounded the bend and now he was moving so fast that he wasn't so much running as flying at ground level. Bit wondered why Leena was kissing him but he forced it from his mind, he didn't have time for that, but he would talk with her when he got mack. Soon he saw the Citadel, he was running so fast. He circled around behind until he saw the large oak. He slowed and stopped at the base of the tree. Naomi was already there but so was someone else.  
  
Stigma stepped out from behind a tree pointing a crossbow at Naomi with the arrow drawn at the ready. Six others stepped out from behind trees.  
  
"I couldn't help it, he managed to pick up on our conversation." Bit could now see that Naomi was tied to the tree that she had meant for them to meet at.  
  
"Yes, I didn't have time to probe her mind fully. But it doesn't matter, I have you, you can not escape Jager." In an instant there were capture spells up all around him, nets and walls of lightning and fire surrounded Bit, cast by the six magi that were around him. Bit rased his hands in mock surrender. All eyes were on him, no one noticed the little breezes that were getting stronger around them. "Good choice, even if you could escape I doubt that you could save the young lady here." Stigma's crossbow never left Naomi.  
  
Naomi's eyes widened as a little breeze whispered in her ear. "Now your's going to see a real good trick." It said.  
  
Bit sat down on the grass his legs crossed and created a barrier of his own, a little whirlwind surrounded him. The Magi looked at each other unsure what they should do.  
  
Naomi who was looking elsewhere saw the first look at what Bit was doing. The dew from that morning had been heavy and under the trees it had not had time to fully dry up yet. It started running off everything that it was clinging to and was coming together on the ground in little puddles. A little face appeared in the water that was child like and had a mischievous it winked at here before it disappeared again. Others began to notice the weird things that the water was doing.  
  
"Water sprites!" One exclaimed. "He's making water sprites." As if to prove his point the puddles bunched up and sprang to life. Six little sprites about three feet tall each, made entirely of water began running around like little children, bubbling laughter filled the air. Others began to pop out from behind trees, dropping from branches. The magi began to laugh, all but Stigma.  
  
"Someone stop him quickly." He shouted.  
  
"Why? They're just sprites what can they do?" He stopped when he saw two sprites jump together to make another larger one. Others started to do the same all around them.  
  
"They're turning into elementals, now someone stop him." A mage with a green arm band gathered a lightning bolt and threw it at Bit through the shield, but it was turned aside by the whirlwind that surrounded him. A mage with a red armband threw a fireball at one of the growing sprites but it was too big the fireball just evaporated some water which immediately reformed. "He's giving them power, you need to stop him before you can deal with the sprites." Stigma shouted at them. They launched their attacks but they were again turned aside by Bit's wall of air.  
  
By this time the sprites were six feet tall and they looked powerful, they no longer looked like children, now they looked fully grown and mean. All of a sudden they turned on the magi trying to attack Bit. The first one was downed by a fist to the face that felt like a block of ice. Another found his head covered by two hands of water that seemed to drown him even as he stood on dry land, the elemental dropped him as soon as he passed out. Soon the magi were all unconscious on the ground. The elementals gathered around Stigma and were bashing their fists on the shield that he had made around him.  
  
"Stigma, you're finished." Bit said standing up, the whirlwind still whirling around him. Stigma grimaced and pointed the crossbow at Naomi's heart.  
  
"I may be finished but I'm taking your accomplice with me." He fired the arrow, it passed though a hole in the shield that opened and closed before any of the water elementals could try yo get it. The arrow flew through the chest of one of the water creatures. It was almost to Naomi when the whirlwind that had been around Bit broke away, the wind turned hard slicing the arrow so quickly and so fine that it appeared to have turned to dust in midair. Only the arrow head remained, it dropped to the ground with a little tap against a protruding root. The water elementals backed off from the shield but Stigma didn't let it drop.  
  
The dust from the arrow swirled in the air for a second before taking the shape of a woman's face. It smiled at Bit and Naomi before turning on Stigma. It screamed and launched it's self at his shield, cutting at it with razor wind. Calmly Bit cut the ropes that held Naomi. When he turned the elementals had approached and were kneeling in front of them heads bowed.  
  
"Get up, you don't need to kneel in front of me." As one they looked up and said together in one bubbling voice.  
  
"Long ago we pledged our allegiance to the other who wore that armor, we will continue to honor that pledge. What would you have us do?"  
  
"Thank you, I too honor the pledge that my ancestor made with you. For what you have just done I am in your debt. It is you who should ask of me."  
  
"We ask only for a place to live, the climate here is favorable for us but we sense nothing of great water except for that at the village beyond the hill that we can sense. We ask only to be allowed to live in that water."  
  
"Lady?" Bit turned to Naomi. "These beings would like to live in your fountains and wells is that alright? So long as your father doesn't find out."  
  
"My father will never find out." She placed her head in her hands. "He's dead, Stigma killed him when he found that I was helping you, he said that father was lying to him so he killed him. But yes for saving my life here they may stay where ever they would like." Bit asked that they take Naomi home, they agreed and led her back to the Citadel. Bit turned back to Stigma who was still under attack from the air elemental.  
  
The shield had shrunk it now barely covered him as he was kneeling, sweet covering his face, his breath labored.  
  
"You idiot." Bit said coldly. "You're drawing on your life force to protect your self. Soon you wont even have enough strength to live let alone move." Yet he made no attempt to stop the continuing attack on the shield.  
  
"You can not defeat me." Stigma panted, as again his shield shrunk so it was resting against his skin. "And if you do my master will send others, others more powerful than even me."  
  
"Let them come." Bit said as he walked around the kneeling man. "If they threaten me or the people I protect they will feel my wrath." He waved his hand as the shield burst like a bubble, at his wave the air elemental stopped its attack and went swirling around his armor like a friendly cat after a good meal. Stigma watched him with eyes wide, his breathing was hard and fast, his face pale and covered in sweat. Bit looked down at him again examining him carefully. "You're dying Stigma. You used to much of your life force, it can't sustain you any longer, your body is shutting down."  
  
"Yes, I know. I can feel it, I ask only one thing of you." Bit nodded. "I want you to live, it may seem weird coming from me, but I feel something different from you. You have no hate, you have anger, but not hate, I find this intriguing." He coughed raggedly. "But it seems that I've run out of time."  
  
"I'm sorry Stigma. I would save you if I could but there is no magic that I can preform to save or prolong life."  
  
"I know and I will accept my death, I hope that it causes you no distress. I have lived my life and I have regrets but none to do with you." He coughed again. "Please don't let anyone find my body, Fury has ways of getting information, even from the dead."  
  
"You will disappear into the deepest, darkest, most frigid hole of the north that this elemental can find." The wind around him whistled in agreement. "You will not be seen, you will be out of range of all seeking spells, and any who try to find you will not be able to find you, you will be as safe as I can make you."  
  
"That will just be my body and the memories it has." He sighed and lay down on the forest floor. "My soul will be... free." And he closed his eyes for the last time.  
  
Following his instructions the air elemental swirled around Stigma's body lifting it into the air. It carried it straight up and a cloud was obscuring it when a groan told Bit that the other magi would be waking up soon. As soon as the first woke he shook the others and woke them as well. Bit made no attempt to stop him, none of them was a match for him. When they were awake Bit gathered them together in one group using pushing winds.  
  
"Now that you know who is superior you will leave here and never return." They didn't need to know that he had used up almost all his power summoning the seven elementals, six water and one air. And he could not use his other elemental magic while in the armor that made his Water/Air magic its strongest. "Now you will go and tell Fury that Stigma is gone forever, and the fate will be the same for anyone else he tries to send against me. Now go before I change my mind about letting you go." They didn't need to be told twice, as fast as they could they ran in all directions.  
  
When they were gone Bit let the armor sink back into his skin. He drew on his lightning magic to give him enough strength to get to the castle before he collapsed. He found the back gate and banged hard on it, it was opened almost immediately by Naomi.  
  
"Naomi, I used too much power, I need to rest." He started to collapse but Naomi caught him in time. She called a servant who led him to a room. He staggered to the bed and lay down.  
  
The next thing Bit knew he was waking up to a sunrise breaking through the window directly into his face. He sat up and looked around. He was not alone, Naomi sat at the foot of the bed looking at him.  
  
"Six water elementals, an air elemental, and one of the most complex communication spells there is, in two days, and only now you're tired? Are you even human?" Bit scratched his head.  
  
"I actually am beginning to wonder that my self. I've never even heard of anyone EVER who can do the things I can do." Naomi started to speak but stopped. "But you have, haven't you." She nodded. "Who is it?"  
  
"I've heard of one other person who's had abilities like you, but it was so long ago. I'm actually surprised that you haven't thought of him."  
  
"Liger?" Bit asked in an almost whisper. Naomi just nodded.  
  
"But he had other elements not just Wind and Water. He also had Fire, Earth, Lightning, and Plant, and if I guess correctly you also have those elements at the same astronomical level as your Wind and Water magic." Bit said nothing. "I thought so." Bit closed his eyes and lay back down.  
  
"Why are you telling me this?" Bit asked, his eyes still closed.  
  
"Gods above man." Naomi almost shouted as she stood quickly. "Don't you know what this means? I've seen your Jager armor, and I have no doubt about the others that you have or are getting." Bit nodded not opening his eyes. "Those were once Liger's as well, they are the fabled Armors of the Liger Warrior, only Liger could wear them when he was alive, do you know what this means?" Bit nodded again slowly, he did understand though he had not figured it out until just now. "You aren't just like Liger, you ARE Liger reborn. You are the most powerful person in the world." She took a deep breath, and sat down again. "So now I have only one question. You told me your name but I still don't know who you are." Slowly Bit sat up and looked her dead in the eye.  
  
"I am Bit Cloud, son of Deleo Cloud, direct descendant of Liger Cloud, and I've already told you the rest." Bit threw the covers off, swung his feet over the side, and stood up. "Now I must be going. I have duties elsewhere." Naomi just sat there and watched him as he walked out of the room.  
  
When Bit was out of the room he realized he didn't know the way out. He turned around and opened the door again.  
  
"Down the hall take a left then walk straight until you come to the big door, that will take you outside." Naomi said before Bit had even opened his mouth. Bit smiled and thanked her. He to her directions and found himself outside next to the front gate.  
  
Bit transformed back into his armor where no one would see him and with all the speed he could manage blasted off back in the direction of the caravan. At the blinding speed he managed it only took him a few minutes to get back to the caravan. What he saw made his heart go cold. Raiders were attacking the caravan on the large flying sand rays, like those of the oceans but larger.  
  
"Oh no." 


	13. Family

Tawanos: DAMN!! I've been away a long time. Sorry everyone I hope I can make it up to you with this. I worked extra hard on this chapter and made it much longer compared to my other works. And there is a surprise ending to it, something I'm hoping no one guessed.  
  
I am sorry to say that I don't know when the next chapter will be out, I'm working my ass off with 4 AP classes, after school activities, and a few personal projects other than my writing. But don't worry, I always finish my work, and my stories will be finished.  
  
Chapter 13 - Family  
  
Bit was about to call on his armor before he remembered how drained his Blue magic was. He could move quickly but he could not fight with it, so he turned to his other magic. Lightening crackled around him as he charged into the fray. He didn't stop to actually fight anyone but ran through throwing balls of lightning at every one attacking paralyzing them.  
  
One person he didn't see jumped down from an over hanging tree limb at him. With iron claws on his fingers her slashed at Bit's unprotected back. Bit yelled in pain then anger as he turned, his hands full of lighting like a trapped lightning bolt. The man was blasted in the chest by a torrent of electric energy that came from Bits hands.  
  
The other raiders heard the man's last cry and turned to see Bit rip what remained of his shirt off, small electric bolts jumping across his skin. The leader, a large man on the back of the largest sand ray, shouted something and they all charged at Bit.  
  
As Bit watched them approach he spread his arms wide and clapped them together hard in front of him. As soon as the sound exploded from his hands the trees and plants on either side of the road began to shiver. Then sudden growth exploded, from those shivering plants. Branches and vines grew incredibly fast reaching out and grabbing the raiders right off their sand rays. The raiders found themselves suddenly bound to trees by ropes made of vines totally unable to move. That left only Bit and the leader.  
  
The leader looked at Bit for a minute before taking the enormous blade out of the sheath on his back. The sword looked oddly weightless in his hands. He held it up for all to see, the bandits who could see it started to grin like they knew what was going to happen. He brought down the sword as if slashing, something rushed by Bits cheek he reached up and felt something wet, he looked at his fingers and saw blood.  
  
"This is my Wind Scar." Hey yelled for all to hear, some of the bandits cheered. He rased the blade so he was looking over the razor sharp edge right at Bit. "It has taken more lives than you have seen, and is hungry for another one." There were some more laughs from the bandits. Bit ignored them as he knelt down and picked up a small oak twig that was lying on the road. People watched in amazement as the twig started to grow. The twig steadily became a stick from that it turned into a branch then it began to widen until it could be called nothing other than a club, a massive oak club. The club looked as if it weighed a ton, it was not that it just looked heavy anyone who looked at felt how heavy it was, like it had it's own gravity. But that was impossible, wasn't it? But no matter how impossibly heavy the club looked Bit held it easily in his hand.  
  
Bit took the club in both his hands and held it above his head, he made the same slashing movement as the leader but there was no hidden trick, everyone could see what happened. The air exploded away from the club as Bit swung. Dust blew up from the road and trees trembled as the wind blew past. The leader drew his cloak around him to protect himself from the wind that carried dust twigs and some pebbles that would have caused buses or cuts if they hit.  
  
After the wind had passed their was dead silence. The only sound was the leader taking the cloak off himself. He looked at Bit, who now had the club resting casually on his shoulder with what could only be called the smile of a person who knows the no matter what happens next would walk away a winner, probably with his opponent in lots of pain behind him.  
  
The leader shook himself and got off his sand ray. People were looking out of the caravan to see what had happened, what they saw shocked them. Both sides of the road had bandits tied with living plants, the only people standing were Bit and the leader, and the leader was walking towards Bit with his sword drawn. About three feet away from Bit the man stopped.  
  
"What is your name?" He asked. Bit thought he recognized the man but couldn't quite place it.  
  
"Name?" Bit still had that smile on his face. "They call me Bit Cloud." The man nodded and then did something that surprised everyone including Bit. The man got on one knee and presented his sword to Bit, his head bowed.  
  
"I, Saraph Cloud, present my sword to you in surrender, but rightfully it is your sword anyway." He smiled broadly as he looked up again. Bit took the sword in his free hand and laughed as Saraph stood up.  
  
"It is good to see you again cozen." They hugged each other and gave each other hearty thumps on the back, totally ignoring the looks of utter confusion people were giving them.  
  
Now that people had time to notice they saw that the mad did have a resemblance to Bit, the big one being the same eyes. Saraphs hair was black and long tied back into a ponytail that hung down hit back. He was slightly shorter than Bit but obviously older by several years. He was not at all like Bit in terms of muscle mass, he had a body like a professional body builder, very strong but the way he talked showed intelligence to use his strength in non-conventional ways.  
  
Leena got out of one of the wagons and walked over to them.  
  
"Where the hell have you been Bit?" She asked, she sounded very mad. She totally ignores Saraph and stalks by him to glare at Bit.  
  
"Well I'm back now and your safe, isn't that what matters?" He sounded like he hoped this was the case very, very much. But by the look on Leena's face she was not going to let it be even if it was true.  
  
"NO!! What matters is that you were NOT here when we needed you." Bit bowed his head, when he looked up again he was startled to see that Leena was on the verge of tears. "I was so frightened, I didn't know what to do." Something started to shine in her eyes, she reached up and put her hand on Bit's cheek, he felt a cool sensation and the sting that had been the cut there lessened and went away. Leena was so startled she jerked her hand away but the magic had been done the cut was healed with not even a scar left.  
  
"It's always nice to have a healer around isn't it cozen?" Saraph said like it was nothing unusual but he didn't know that Leena had shown no signs of magic before.  
  
"A healer? Me?" Leena was looking at her fingers then at Bit and finally to Saraph.  
  
"What you mean her seal just broke?" Both Bit and Leena nodded. "Well she'll need a teacher. Speaking of magics when did you lean that trick?" He pointed at the club that was still resting against Bit's shoulder. Bit smiled.  
  
"It's a long story cozen, and I'll tell you everything as we continue our journey." Bit looked and saw the Cornelius Champ was looking out of the lead carriage.  
  
"Is it safe to start moving again?" He called back to Bit. Bit looked from the tied up bandits to Saraph and then to Leena.  
  
"Perfectly safe." He called back. "You can move out whenever your ready."  
  
"Well I want to go now." He retreated back into the carriage and gives the call for them to move out. Slowly the carriages start to move out again.  
  
"Come on Saraph, we have a lot to talk about." Saraph quickly got his sand ray, named Stinger, and tied it to the back of the Chariot. Then he followed Bit and Leena inside. When Leon saw Saraph get into the Chariot he immediately gets up gathering fire into his hands ready to throw.  
  
Bit sighed and waved the sword in his direction causing a little gust of wind towards him blowing out the flames in his hand. He then placed the sword between them before anything else could happen.  
  
"It's alright he's my cozen." Bit explained. "He'll be coming with us, for a while anyway." He looked at Saraph who nodded. Bit sighed again. "I have a lot to explain." Doc walked in looking a little confused at all of them. "To everyone." The Chariot lurched and they started again. Bit looked around as if searching for something.  
  
"Where is Liger? Isn't he here?" Leena looked at him and shook her head.  
  
"No, he headed out running a little after you left, I thought he was following you." She went and got his bag from the bottom of the stares and brought it to him. Bit took the bag and put the sword and club into it. "But you told him to stay, so I wondered, but I don't know where he is."  
  
"That will have to wait until we have a full explanation of what you have been doing Bit." Leon said tersely.  
  
"Then I should start with this." Bit turned around and showed them all the tatoo of Jager on his back. "This tatoo contains the spirit Jager, the spirit of Wind and Water, the essence of speed, and one third of my legacy." He took a clean shirt out of his pack, put it on, and started to explain. For the next few hours as they traveled Bit continued to explain about who he was, his magic, what he knew of the other spirits, though not much, and why Fury was after him. He left out some details, such as the fact that Leena was with him when he received Jager, and exactly how powerful he was.  
  
When he was finished there was a stunned silence when he finished as everyone put it all together in their minds. Bit wished that Liger was there, if he was then Bit would have something to do while he waited for everyone, Liger would make him sit, put his head in Bit's lap and wait for Bit to scratch him behind the ears. But Liger wasn't there and it was starting to make Bit worry. He looked towards the windows just in time to see a bad haircut duck down out of sight.  
  
"CRAP!" Bit rushes to the door and pulls it open looking around and sees a guy in a very ugly yellow suit riding ahead. "CRAP!" He says again, he looks back at everyone's questioning face. "It was Harry, he heard everything. I've got to go, Harry will tell everyone about me and that will put you all in danger." He starts to get his bag when Doc stops him.  
  
"Now Bit, you protected us so we'll protect you, but first things first." He turns to Leon. "Detach the tether spell, we've outstayed our welcome in the Champ Caravan I think." Leon immediately goes to a panel on the wall and chanting something hits it with his fist. They all feel it disengage and the Chariot slows to a stop. "For now we should just get the Chariot off the road and cover our trail." Leon nodded and got out of the Chariot, he attached the tether spell to himself and walks a little way into the woods so it won't be easily visible from the road. He came back in, closing the door firmly behind him.  
  
"It's done father. We should be safe for the night." There was a knock on the door. They all looked around, everyone who was supposed to be there was there in the room, there should have been no one outside. The knock came again. Slowly Leon went to the door and slowly opened it.  
  
There was a woman on the other side, but on closer examination one could see that it was not a human but one of the fey, or elves, by the way her ears pointed and her face with its high angular cheek bones. She had long straight black hair with a green tint to it, it hung all the way down her back with two curls of it on either side of her face. She was wearing black with that same green tint to it. She had one of the fey long bows strung over her shoulder with a quiver full of arrows.  
  
"Pierce?" Bit asked. "Is that you?" Everyone turned to look at Bit and then back at the woman.  
  
"Yes, hello Bit." He did not exactly sound very happy for seeing him. "I'm sorry for this." As she spoke a dozen other archers appeared out of the woods, their bows were not over their shoulders but rather in their arms with one deadly arrow drawn and pulled back, each of them was aiming through the door and at the people inside. "Welcome to Panzer Forest. The elders are waiting for you." Bit closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly as if trying to hear something, when he opened his eyes again his eyes had a greenish shine to them.  
  
"Yes, I understand, and I must speak with them as well." Bit looked at the rest of those in the caravan. He turned and headed towards the door but Leena stopped him.  
  
"What is going on Bit?" She sounded worried. "Where are you going?" Bit looked at her, the green in his eyes had grown more prominent.  
  
"It's the armor, I can feel it calling me." And suddenly Leena remembered how Bit's eyes had grown blue as she approached Jager Lake and the Jager Armor, and now they were in the Panzer forest and it was happening again.  
  
Pierce moved out of the way for Bit to walk past her. All the fey archers had lowered their bows but rased them again when Doc stepped to the door.  
  
"Put down your bows," Pierce instructed, but they did not lower them.  
  
"Our instructions were that only the one The Armor calls is allowed to come." By the tone of his voice, the instructions that had been given him might as well have been set in stone.  
  
"Too bad, they can come if I say they can come, and I say they can." Bit's voice was cool and calm like a grove of trees, but held a force behind it like a falling redwood. The archer who had spoken turned pale, or rather, more pale, and lowered his bow. The rest of the archers lowered their bows and looked unsteadily at Bit. Their instructions may have been set in stone, but when Bit said something it became a universal law. "They will be under my protection, wether they stay or come."  
  
Doc seemed not to notice the reaction of the elves as he stepped out of the Chariot onto the forest floor. The others followed him out. Without looking at them the elves faded back into the woods, disappearing from view. Pierce started walking into the forest and Bit followed her, the rest hesitated for a moment before following them. Saraph, without saying a word, pointed at Bit's feet as they walked deeper into the woods. The others did not need for him to explain what he was pointing at.  
  
While Bit walked steadily onward next to Pierce, talking with her quietly, his feet left deep footprints in the ground. The watched for a moment and saw that each time Bit stepped down the ground, covered in moss, would sag under him as if holding far more weight than should have been there, and then when he stepped off the moss did not so much rise again, as grow back up, filling each one of Bit's steps with new moss.  
  
Only Leena was not watching Bit's feet, she was looking for his shadow. But shadows were few and far between in the dense forest. But at one point the forest opened, for a moment, into a small clearing, and Pierce, never changing the direction she walked, walked right though it, and Bit walked with her. Leena, and the others who were still watching Bit, gasped at his shadow.  
  
Bit, hearing them gasp, stopped and turned around, so did Pierce. Bit saw where they were looking and looked at his shadow. It was enormous, far larger than Bit, larger than any man they had ever seen, it was also covered in what looked like spikes. Bit looked at the shadow and nodded, the shadow nodding with him.  
  
"The armor knows that I'm coming." He looked at the shadow. "Shades of the past fighting for the future." He whispered to himself but everyone heard. It was then that they realized how quiet the forest had become, no birds singing, no animals, hardly even a breeze. Pierce was suddenly looking around cautiously into the forest around them.  
  
"There is no time to waste, we must go to the elders now." Bit nodded and started to walk with her again into the forest. The others followed, quite aware that Pierce thought something was following them, looking around.  
  
Though nothing happened during the rest of their walk, their tension grew. The prickling on the back of their necks making them look over their shoulders often. Only Bit seemed unconcerned by the rest of them, he walked on steadily.  
  
Suddenly there were two massive trees ahead of them, a mighty wooden gateway blocking the entrance to the elven city. And there sitting right in front of the middle of the gate was Liger, his eyes followed them as they approached his tail the only indication of his impatience as it moved around as if it was unable to find a good place to stop. As they approached the gates they saw that they were made of living wood as were the walls that grew out of the sides of the massive trees gently curving around the city. Guards stationed at the top of the wall watched them with guarded eyes, their longbows ready to draw and fire at a moment's notice.  
  
Liger came to them and walked next to Bit, no one questioned him or Bit to ask where he had been.  
  
"We will have to wait for out green magi to open the gate, as it is the only way to enter the city." Pierce turned to them, looking each of them in the eye. She looked and saw Bit walking towards the gate. "Bit? What are you doing?"  
  
"I will not wait." Bit said looking at her, his emerald eyes shining with inner light before he turned to the gate and put his hands on the wood.  
  
"Bit you can not, the magi......" She stopped and stared as the wood parted before Bit's hand opening and getting larger until an archway replaced the wooden barrier.  
  
Magi on the other side of the arch looked at him in wonder. They wore green robes and had circlets of living ivy growing around their heads. Suddenly a little girl, her golden curls bouncing around her head rushed between two of the magi running straight to Bit who stood there speechless.  
  
"Big Brother! Big Brother! I knew you would come!" As she bounded towards them, Bit knelt down and held out his arms to her, she rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly around the neck, Bit hugged her back tears in his eyes. As they hugged another figure walked towards them.  
  
The woman was tall, with long brown hair falling down her back. She was dressed in a simple brown dress with patterns of ivy and leaves, and yet she had an air of beauty around her simple features. Tears were also in her eyes as she smiled down at her son as he continued to hug his little sister. 


	14. Reunion and Armor

Tawanos: Every time I update I am amazed that I still have people who want to read my stories. I honestly thought all you people would give up when I didn't update that often, but I guess not. Oh well I guess that means that I'll have to continue writing them stories. Too bad.  
  
14 - Reunion  
  
"But how?" Bit asked as he stood up, his little sister holding his hand. "I thought you were dead."  
  
"We'll talk about it later son, but right now there are more important things. The elders are waiting. We'll have time after that." She walked up to Bit and hugged him. He hugged her back with one arm as his sister was still holding the other. "But it is good to see you again, my son." They hugged for a long moment, before she let go and stepped back, whipping a tear from her eye.  
  
Leon stepped forward to ask a question, but Doc put a hand out, stopping him. Again they started walking, the Green Magi left to seal the gateway again. No one said anything as they walked following Pierce into the heart of the city. Doc, Leon Leena and Saraph, gazing around in wonder at the fay city, every building grown and sculpted from living wood, but something worried them, there was no one there, the only ones they had seen were the Guards and the Green Magi, but as soon as they stepped into the city there was no one. Bit was too preoccupied with his mother and little sister to care about anything else.  
  
Pierce led them to a mammoth tree, larger than any they had seen before. Great care had been taken as it grew for they could see that it was not just a tree but also the citadel of the city, a place where all would go if they were threatened with invasion. It was not just a tree or building, it was the greatest single fortress known.  
  
"This is the Heart of the Forest." Pierce explained. "It is the oldest living thing known to man, or elf. The elders await inside." She walked up a set of steps and past an ornate arch into the heart of the tree, the others followed.  
  
When they stepped inside they were greeted by another of the fay. He was not very tall, and very young looking but you never could tell with elves, his spiky brown hair and brown eyes. He looked a little impatient as they walked in.  
  
"Pierce," he said when he saw her, his voice was relieved while at the same time had a little complaining edge to it, Bit saw Pierce smile a little bit. "You were supposed to bring only Cloud, not these others. But that will have to wait till later, the Elders are getting impatient. The others can watch from above but Cloud will have to come with me."  
  
"Jamiehalw, show respect." Pierce said. "But you are right, the rest of you must come with me, this is for Bit only." Against the protests of Leon, Doc, and Saraph, Pierce and Helena (Bit's mother, Sarah is the little sister) led them away.  
  
"How many times have I told her to call me Jamie?" The new elf muttered to himself as he led Bit to the entrance to the Colosseum.  
  
As Bit walked into the Colosseum he saw why the city was empty, row upon row of fay men women and children sat in the seats that circled the empty space that Bit now stood in. But Bit didn't care about the ones around him he only cared about the three Elder Elves in front of him. His eyes almost blazed with emerald light. As he stepped out his shadow came into sharp focus from the large window that was behind the Elders. It showed the hulking armor as it had in the clearing but this time it was more than a shadow, it seemed ready to leap out and become the armor its self instead of its memory.  
  
The Elders sat calmly in front of him, and old male elf on the left, dressed in elegant green robes and a silver circlet molded into the likeness of vines. An older looking female elf on the right, dressed in robes of lilac, the silver circlet on her head one of lightning bolts.  
  
And in the middle between the two masters of the arts of green magic was The Elder. Dressed in robes of purest white his silver beard streaming down his front almost reaching the floor, his white hair braded down his back. An undecorated, circlet of purest gold resting on his brow, blind eyes that could still see, and held a depth that would not only look into your soul but find every fact about you, but it was not an unkind face, though weathered by untold centuries he still had the air of a doting grandfather.  
  
The center Elder stood and faced Bit with his blind eyes.  
  
"Bit Cloud," he said, his voice ringing clearly out over the otherwise total silence. "We have been waiting for you. Ever since Pierce brought your remaining family from the South here, from certain destruction under the forces of Fury. She learned of the Forces of Fury sent to capture or kill the family of Cloud, and she herself risked her life, and the life of her people to save them and bring them here."  
  
So, Bit thought, that is what happened. Pierce saved them.  
  
"It was here," the Elder continued, "that your mother, Helena Cloud, told us of your family heritage, and why it we should grant her and her daughter sanctuary." The light from Bit's eyes pulsed angrily. They had to PROVE that they were WORTHY of being protected? He clenched his fists cracking some knuckles, and as he did a ripple of something went through the living tree. The elves looked around nervously, the tree it's self seemed to be watching now, and it unnerved them.  
  
*YES.* The voice reverberated around the skulls of everyone there. The voice was neither male nor female. It was ancient and powerful but still strong with life, a life not diminished by age, but instead strengthened. The Heart of the Forest looked at them all but focused mostly on Bit. *YOU HAVE SOUL OF MY OLD FRIEND LIGER, BUT I SENSE THAT YOU ARE LIKE HIM AND AT THE SAME TIME MORE THAN HE EVER WAS.*  
  
A figure started to grow out from the center of the floor. It was the Spirit of the tree stepped away and broke it's connection leaving the tree alive but without it's soul, now like any other tree in the forest exceptional in only it's age and size. The Avatar stood before Bit, and they looked into each other's eyes, holding the gaze of an equal.  
  
It could take whatever form it wanted but it settled into one that seemed appropriate, a dragon. Enormous its powerful muscles coiled and knotted it look like it could, on it's own, lift the entire tree that they now stood in, and probably could. I had no covering of dead bark, but the pure life and shine of growing wood. It's arms and legs, it's entire body even going down the length of the tail covered in muscles. The end of the tail ending in an enormous spiked club. Imbedded in its chest the emerald shone through, the light it gave off exactly like that of the light from Bit's eyes. A lightning scar put across one side of its face warn like a badge of honor, it crackled with power.  
  
*I AM PANZER.* The dragon said, it's eyes like knots of wood never looking away from Bit's. *COME LIGER WARRIOR.* It brushed one massive clawed hand over it's chest and the emerald. *CLAIM YOUR INHERITANCE.*  
  
"NO!" The female Elder stepped forward. "Great Panzer, you can't do this! He is but a human, merge with one of our warriors grant one of them your power. This human cannot possibly understand, respect and honor the power that you are willing to give him. I doubt that he can even contain such power, it would overwhelm him and he would most likely die and take you with him into the abyss."  
  
There was a murmur of agreement from the assembled elves, though none of them spoke out directly. She walked forward, looking at Bit this time.  
  
"You do not understand the power of Panzer. It is older than you can imagine, stronger than any power, and wise beyond any philosopher. Let someone who is worthy accept his power." Her look showed Bit exactly who she thought was worthy, herself.  
  
"You think that you are worthy?" Bit spoke with power, his body suffused with the power that Panzer was giving off. The elf must have felt his power for she almost stepped back, but she rallied herself and stood proudly, her head held high.  
  
"I am Lilith, Priestess of the Life Power." She held out her hand, a ball of lightning formed above her palm, crackling with power. "And yes, I do believe that I would be one of those capable of harnessing and appreciating Panzer's power and wisdom."  
  
*A CHALENGE THEN. * Panzer's voice chuckled. *YOU TWO SHALL BATTLE, WHOEVER IS THE VICTOR I SHALL MERGE WITH. THE RESTRICTION IS TO GREEN MAGIC ONLY, AND ANY WEAPONS YOU MAY HAVE OR MAKE. * Bit and Lilith nodded, and Panzer moved off to one of the sides of the large area, giving the both of them enough room to battle. He watched them intently.  
  
Bit reached into his bag, and started to draw out the Wind Scar, but changed his mind instead taking out the living wood club, the tossed the bag against the wall. Lilith reached into her robes and pulled out a staff, long and slender, but having the strength of steel. Lilith concentrated and lightning crackled along the length of her staff. Bit merely rested the club against his shoulder.  
  
Lilith attacked first, swinging the staff at Bit's chest. Bit moved smoothly and easily, blocking her attack easily with the handle of the club. Lilith attacked again and again with her staff, but each time no matter where she attacked or how fast she did the Club was always there to block her. Bit didn't take one step in any direction.  
  
Lilith scowled and attacked again, this time aiming it like a spear at Bit's chest. Bit put out his hand and caught the staff in a vice-like grip. Lilith grinned and bolt of power flooded down her staff into Bit's hand and into his body. Bit held fast, not flinching or moving. Lilith's attack was visible flashing across Bit's skin, and then it changed, instead of flooding around his body it gathered, flowing down his other arm and into the club until it crackled with power. Then Bit swung. There was no stopping the club, when it hit the floor the entire room shook. The power that was in the club raced along the floor until it hit Lilith, she screamed as the power ran up her body, and she let go of her staff and was thrown back by the power.  
  
Bit raised the club from the floor, placing it again on his shoulder. He placed one end of the staff on the floor and stood it upright. When he stepped back the staff still stood, but everyone could see that something was happening. The staff was growing, and changing, becoming a tree coming up out of the middle of the floor. Lilith stood shakily from the floor, watching in wonder, as did everyone else.  
  
"I am Bit Cloud, son of Deleo Cloud, descendent of Liger Cloud, and I ASK, that Panzer join with me." Bit turned to Panzer and looked at Panzer who got up and went to him, standing in front of him as he had before, but this time there was no one to protest, and every one knew that no one in that great hall could face him, no one could lay a finger on him.  
  
*I ACCEPT YOUR REQUEST, AND I WILL JOIN WITH YOU. * Bit bowed slightly and stepped forward, placing his hands on the great emerald in Panzer's chest. The Emerald did not chip and shatter as the Sapphire before, this time it seemed to shrink back away from his touch, revealing a small sun of green light that impacted on Bit's chest, sending ripples through him and the rest of the tree. He glowed and the light around him grew stronger, until no one could look at him or Panzer. *I HAVE ENDED MY TIME, I PASS ALL TO YOU.* And the voice of the great tree spirit, Panzer, faded, and with it the light went as well.  
  
Kneeling, his head bowed, his hands clap on the handle of an enormous iron club, the head of which was resting on the floor, was a man. His armor was in forest green, though they could not guess as to how thick the armor was they could all feel it's strength, and it was the strength that castle and fortress walls only ever wished they could have. The armor was covered in spikes, two inches long, an inch wide at the base, the armor its self was not smooth but rather grained and knotted, like it had been made out of a living tree, and transformed into the armor it was now.  
  
He stood. With slow and ponderous movements he hefted himself up until he was standing. He looked down at his hand that he held out in front of him and slowly opened and closed it, also twisting it from side to side as if testing the joints. No sound came from the armor save a slight hiss of metal plates sliding against each other.  
  
With an unspoken word, every elf stood, and with one hand reached up and touched their forehead, then their lips, then their heart, bowed slightly and left, until only the Bit, the Elders, and the humans that came with Bit were left.  
  
The eldest Elder looked at him with blind eyes and nodded. "I am the oldest." He said. "And I remember one just like you before, and he and Panzer joined as one, and together they and the others drove off the darkness. Perhaps you will do the same, and perhaps, you may do more, or less, only time will tell." And with that final remark he stood and repeated the gesture the other elves had done and slowly walked out, leaning on his cane. The other male Elder followed him.  
  
Lilith slowly approached the armored figure. "You truly are the one for the joining, and I ask that you forgive me for questioning that." In response the figure held out a hand over the floor, his fingers glowed as he drew on his magic. A white staff made of the purest heartwood rose out of the floor, strong and supple it was much better than the previous staff. He took it and presented it to her, not saying a word. Silently she took the staff and bowed deeply before walking out of the hall.  
  
The other humans, led by Doc, slowly made their way out of the stands and walked down to the figure. Helena, holding the now sleeping Sarah in her arms, beamed at the armored figure as she stood in front of it and nodded.  
  
"Your father would be so proud if he saw you now."  
  
"Wow look at this!" Doc went around the armor, poking the prodding, exclaiming about the thickness, durability, weight, and power of the armor.  
  
"We know dad, now leave him alone." Leon pulled Doc away.  
  
"I must say Cuz, this is some mighty impressive work you've done here to day, claimed your second armor, been some of the first into the Elven city, and defeated in battle one of the most powerful elves on the planet, congratulations." He thumped that figure on the back, only hurting his hand when he hit one of the spikes.  
  
Only Leena didn't say anything (Sarah doesn't count, she's asleep), but she didn't need to. As she stood behind Helena she smiled and her eyes met those from inside the armor, and they smiled back.  
  
In a flash of green light the armor was gone, replaced by Bit, who was sweating, his cheeks were red and his hair was matted from sweat, everyone laughed at him.  
  
"Come on don't laugh, it's really hot in there." But in the end he laughed as well, and together they all walked out of the room, the last to leave.  
  
**********  
  
Tawanos: Finally a good resting spot, I'm sorry to say this but I've got AP exams coming up and they're going to be HARD, so I've got to study a lot, but don't worry, I'll keep writing. I can't just let down all my faithful readers...... I do have faithful readers don't I? 


End file.
